The Legacy
by Kirjava-chan
Summary: Syaoran lies between life and death, as a result from a battle against the same enemy that killed Clow. A new power awaits him, for in his hands lies the fate of civilization. (A MUST for Syaoran fans. S+S, E+T, M+K).... Chapter 5 up!
1. The ER

Hell-o, everybody! Well, the main reason I wrote this is because I'm bored. Really bored. Until now, I didn't think me being bored was possible but I guess it is… I should probably be working on 'Now and Then', but my sister is here and she hates all types of anime and magnas… She's always like "How can you like this crap?" and "Aren't you too old to watch cartoons?"  or "Jeez! You're hogging the computer again! And you don't even use it! You're just reading/writing those stupid stories!"… So I don't want her to even know about that story because she'll ruin it for me! So instead, I'm writing this… The opening sequence had been sitting in my brain for quite sometime. The ending too… The plot I'll be making up as I go… I do know it'll definitely be S+S… With some E+T and M+K… There's an original character in here. Don't mind him, he'll be introduced in the next chapter. No, he's not some Gary-Stu… He's here to fall I love with Meiling!…

Okay, you know the drill… I don't own CSS; Clamp, Kodansha, and Nelvana do. Which is probably a good because I'm not exactly an expert at drawing…

Key

"speech"

'_thoughts'_

*actions*

_*scene change/flashback*_ 

_*** point of view change_

_Beep. Beep. Beep._

The steady beeping of the heart monitor was the only sound in the hospital room. Well, almost the only sound; occasional sobs broke through the monotony, when the people in the room failed to control their grief. Not that they could be blamed, few people actually succeeded in holding in sadness, even more so in hospitals, in the intensive care unite, surrounded by more machines than you'd care to count, watching the life drain out of someone you care for, let alone love (whether in a friendly way or in _that_ way). Ironically, the person laying in the bed was rather good at keeping feelings in check. He hadn't shed a tear in the last 16 years. He was Li Syaoran.

            The door to the room opened, and a woman wearing a white coat and carrying a clipboard entered. She was a doctor, in case you hadn't figured that out. The expression in her face wasn't very comforting to the people inside, who happened to be Eriol, Meiling, Tomoyo, and Sakura. Keisuke was also there, but, seeing as you have no idea who he is, it doesn't matter for now. As soon as they heard the door close behind the doctor, they looked towards her, their eyes asking the same question Eriol voiced seconds later.

            "Will Syaoran be alright?"

            The doctor sighted. This was the one thing she hated about her profession: having to tell people the truth. Sure, she could just use the stock answer and tell them that if he survived the night, he would be alright. But that was just as far from the truth as anything. The fact was, she thought it highly possible, even more, likely that the young man would die as they were talking. She looked up, and met Eriol's blue eyes. There was only one way to handle this situation: the harsh, blunt way. "Your friend was extremely hurt. Apart from broken ribs, leg, collarbone, and wrist, he suffered a serious contusion. There is a shocking amount of internal bleeding. One of his ribs pierced his right lung. 3rd degree burns all along his right arm. Although now neutralized, the poison affected several vital organs. We are waiting for the rest of the test results, which will probably reveal further injuries." She took a deep breath, looking at the unconscious young man in the bed. Then, she abruptly turned back to the rest of the group. "I'm sorry. Your friend is clinically dead. Whatever sustained him until now is a mystery. His injuries would be enough to kill 3 grown men. We did the best we could. I'm really sorry, but he won't last the night." Then, she turned around and left the room, hoping to avoid the heart-wrenching sob that was sure to follow her little speech, but not quite making it. Just before the door closed behind her, she managed to see, and hear, one of the girls wail and sob uncontrollably, while collapsing on the boy's bedside. She was a pretty one: cute auburn hair, creamy complexion, curvy body, and the most gorgeous green eyes the doctor had ever seen.

            Those eyes; they would haunt the doctor for as long as she lived. So big, and sad, and helpless. They were begging for help, as if the doctor alone could save her beloved. For the doctor was sure that the girl loved the boy; it was obvious in the way she looked at him, the way she stood protectively near him, the way she wouldn't let go of his hand. But the fact remained, there wasn't anything the doctor, or anyone else, could do to save the young man. Such a pity too; he was young, handsome, strong… yet, struck down on the prime of life. By what, the doctor did not know. His friends had brought him to the ER in critical condition. They neither offered nor gave any explanation as of how he had reached such a state. The others were harmed, too. The green-eyed girl had burns in her right leg, a broken arm, stitches on both her forehead and her stomach, and had had a blood transfusion. The other two boys had needed a couple of stitches, and the other girls had a few bruises a cuts, but nothing too serious. 

            The young doctor sighted, as she reached the nurses' station. She let her clipboard down, sat on a chair, leaned back, and closed her eyes. This whole thing was giving her one heck of a headache. 

            "Excuse me," the doctor opened her eyes. There stood 4 persons; 3 male, one female. Or something of the like, because the woman wasn't technically a woman. But the doctor didn't know that, so it doesn't matter. "Can you tell us which room is Li Syaoran in?" The doctor sighted; more people in line for heart-ache. Poor kid. Resigned, she said "Of course. Please, follow me." Fujitaka, Touya, Yukito, and Nakuru did.

  __**Scene Change**__

            Back in the room, Eriol did the best he could to comfort Tomoyo. Keisuke tried to help, but he was a tad too shocked himself to offer much comfort. Meiling was in a rage, cursing everyone she could think of. Sakura, they let cry freely; she wouldn't let any one near her, and only cried her beautiful eyes out, clinging to the bed for support. 

            "Shh, shh," Erioll rubbed Tomoyo's back gently, "It'll be okay, don't worry."

            "But, *sob*, the doctor… *sniff*… She said Syaoran would die!" Tomoyo's voice sounded a bit muffled, for her face was pressed against Eriol's chest.

            "The doctor's a baka!" Meiling stated. "In fact, she shouldn't be a doctor! And the nurses too! And the ER guy, he's a stupid prat!" In her rage, she smashed the ceramic vase that decorated the small night table, and continued pacing around the room.

            "Now, Meiling, get a grip on yourself!  I know your worried, but destroying the room won't help my cute descendant!" At Eriol's words, Sakura let out an even louder wail, the sobs making her body shake. Keisuke approached her, and said, "The un-cute ancestor is right, you know," he laid a hand on her shoulder, " everything will be fine. This is Wolf-boy we're talking about. You know him, he wont give up." Keisuke gave Sakura a small smile, trying to reassure her, but the effect was damped by the two tears that escaped his eyes that moment. Sakura ignored him, and continued crying, occasionally muttering, "It's all my fault. I'm so sorry. All my fault…" Her voice was so low, none of the other heard her.

            "But do you know who's the biggest baka?" Meiling continued her monologue, "Clow Reed! No offense, Eriol. But what was he thinking? Sure, bestow the responsibility of humanity's survival to a bunch of teenagers! Nothing could possibly happen! I mean, except them dying, but oh well… Not one of his brightest ideas, let me tell you!"  She punched the wall, leaving faint cracks on its surface. "And that slut! Why did she have to go and get revenge or world domination or whatever it is! She's so stupid! Stupid, stupid, stupid!" Finally, Meiling broke down, tears streaming down her face. She ran to Keisuke, seeking console in his embrace. 

            It was then that the door to the room opened one again, and Fujitaka, Touya, Yukito, Nakuru, and the doctor entered. It was also then that Syaoran flat-lined.

**** Dramatic Pause Designed To Build Tension And Suspense After Such A Shocking Sentence. Wait 10 More Seconds Before Continuing.****

            Everyone in the room heard the long beep from the machine and knew what it meant. The doctor hurried to the bed, pressing the button to call the IC nurse station. "Code blue! Code blue on room 113! " Almost immediately, a team of doctors and nurses rushed into the room, hauling a cart with strange equipment. One of the nurses tried to guide Sakura away from the bed, but she wouldn't budge. "Syaoran! Syaoran! What's wrong? Please be okay! Syaoran! Don't die! Please don't die!" Sakura clutched the bed, desperate to remain at her partner's side, and hysterical with worry and fear. Touya, seeing the nurse's efforts, picked her up. The nurse thanked him, and instructed all of them to leave the room until further notice, assuring them that the staff would do their best to help Syaoran. They obliged, rather reluctantly, and sat in the waiting room the nurse indicated. They saw the bunch of doctors wheel Syaoran's bed away, presumably to the OR.

            "No! Put me down!" Sakura pounded her fists against her brother's shoulder, desperate to return to Syaoran, "Syaoran needs me! He can't be alone! Let me go! I want to stay with him! Please! I have to stay with him! Please! Please… please…" She stopped yelling and lapsed back into sobbing hysterically, leaning her head on her brother's shoulder. "It's all my fault… All my fault…"

            "Sakura, it's…*sniff*… not your fault! You…*sniff*… did everything you could!" Tomoyo told her, from her place in Eriol's arms.

            "It's not true!…*sob*… It's my fault! I should …*sob*...have been stronger!"

            "Sakura, listen to me, it's not your fault." Eriol stated firmly.

            "If anyone, …*sniff*…it's that bitch's fault!" Meiling yelled, earning herself a stare from the rest of the people in the waiting room , which she promptly ignored and kept crying, Keisuke stroking her back.

            Fujitaka was standing beside Touya, who still carried Sakura, stroking his daughter's hair. "Are the rest of you okay?" The teens nodded in response. "You too, sweetie?" he asked Sakura. Sakura nodded. Though the cast in her arm freaked Fujitaka out, he decided it would be very insensitive to go in full-worry mode with his daughter's friend in such a critical condition. Besides, a broken arm didn't seem too bad.

"But what happened?" asked Touya.

"Could you please tell us?" asked Fujitaka. Yukito and Nakuru had been very vague when they dragged Touya and Fujitaka to the hospital.

Eriol took a deep breath. Of the present five that new the complete story, he was the most composed, so it would be up to him to explain what happened. It was a very long story.

*********To Be Continued*********

So, how'd you like it? I'm sorry for the awful cliffhanger! If you want me to post the next chapter, say so in your review. If you don't want me to post the next chapter, say so in your review. If you think my writing sucks, say so in your review. If you can come up with a better title for this fic, say so in your review. If you like ice cream, say so in your review. Err…. What I mean is: Please, review! Please! 

From next chapter and on, it'll be like a super giant flashback from 3rd person point of view.

Any and all comments are welcome at: kirjava_ffn@yahoo.com.mx

Right now, I think I'll go work on 'Now and Then'. Please, check that story out, and tell me what you think!

Ciao!

Kirjava-chan

PS: Don't forget to reiview!


	2. Thus It Begins

Very Quick Author Note: I'm REALLY REALLY REALLY REALLY REALLY REALLY REALLY REALLY REALLY REALLY REALLY REALLY REALLY REALLY SORRY!!!!!!!!!!!! I lost my files, so all the chapters for this story (I had about 6) were erased and I had to do them all over again!!! I'm sorry it took so long! From now on, it won't! Promise! (oh, and OR stands for Operation Room… I think…)

Thanks to everyone for all of your awesome reviews! I never thought I'd get so much support! You guys are an inspiration!

Concerning the story line: Everything happened exactly as in the anime and/or the manga. No difference. Meiling and Keisuke are married (arranged by the Clan, but they love each other and everything) and she's 2 months pregnant. They live in Hong Kong, but are on Tomoeda on vacation. Tomoyo and Eriol are a couple. Syaoran and Sakura are a couple.

Disclaimer: Don't own it. But someday, I will. And then, I will order CLAMP to write a continuation for it. It'll be as long as the Dragon Ball series! Or Sailor Moon! Perhaps even longer! It'll go on for all eternity! Bwahahahahaha!! Okay, no.  

This chapter is the beginning of a two-part flashback. I'm sorry if its no good; I tried!

***Almost Two Days Ago***

            or

***Gigantic Flashback Which Pretends to Explain How The Heck Syaoran Ended So Messed Up***

Sakura Kinomoto stood in a void of nothingness. Or at least, that's what it seemed to her. All around, over, and under her was blackness in its most absolute (and scary) form. She was afraid, feeling very alone. Looking around desperately, she racked her brains trying to figure out where she was. Or, more importantly, how to get back to… where had she been? It didn't matter; it had to be better than this void. She suddenly heard a booming noise coming from behind her. Emerald eyes opened to their widest as she turned around, her hand reaching for the key at her neck out of pure instinct.

It wasn't there.

Now terrified, the lithe sorceress backed off a few steps, until another noise startled her. It had sounded even closer this time. Deciding that she didn't want to stay and risk finding out what the source of disturbance was, Sakura began running . To where, she didn't know. There was a strange, yet pleasant feeling guiding her, almost like an invisible path through the emptiness. Out of nowhere, a spark of lightning struck the space within 5 meters of her, followed immediately by the noise, which she now identified as thunder. In the brief seconds of light, Sakura saw some sort of shrine, far off to her right, to which the feeling was pulling her now. Not loosing a second, Sakura turned to her right and continued running. Another bolt struck the ground in front of her, its brief light now showing the shrine to her left. She changed direction immediately, running even faster than before.  She narrowly avoided another lightning, swerving violently to her left. And then another. This one showed the temple directly in front of her, barely 40 meters away. Ignoring the ache in her legs, she increased her speed. Another spark struck, barely a meter from her. This one however, revealed no trace of the shrine. The feeling that had guided her until now ceased, and Sakura stopped abruptly. Panting, she looked around, desperate to locate it. 

She never saw the lightning coming.

It struck her, and white-hot pain surged through her body, leaving her as soon as it arrived. Nevertheless, she dropped to her knees, the electrical charge leaving her with a tingling feeling at the end of her senses, a throbbing in her ears, the rest of her body in dull ache. Briefly, her mind registered surprise at her survival, and the lack of significant pain. Yet another portion of her mind became slightly aware of the fact that

 this was a dream,  taking all logic into account.

She ignored both, her attention now centered on something far more curious: a glimmering ball floating in front of her. It seemed to be light made liquid, with small waves rippling through its uneven surface, constantly changing from silvery blue, to dazzling white, to soft gold. Almost hypnotized, Sakura reached out to it. The moment her fingertips touched the sphere, a halo of light emerged from it, sweeping through the vast space until it dissolved into nothingness.  As a result, the area around Sakura was illuminated, and she could see that she was now in the center of what she assumed was the temple she'd seen from a distance. Marble pillars where all around her, with nothing except their circular arrangement to group them, for the area lacked both floor and ceiling. Outside the perimeter of pillars, the darkness remained. 

Something caught Sakura's attention; at the corner of her eye, see could see three pairs of glowing eyes. Blinking, she turned to gaze at where they had been before, only to find the space empty. Behind her, a soft swishing sound was heard, accompanied by almost imperceptible whisperings. She turned around immediately, her jade eyes looking for the source of noise. There they were: three pair of glowing eyes. The ones in the right  were pure silvery white, full of wisdom, distrust clear in them at the same time. The next pair was gray, a soft, mixed-up shade, purpose shinning in them, as well as something the young woman couldn't quite name. Hope, perhaps? Or was it resignation? The last pair was charcoal black, being distinguished from its surroundings only by the clear spark in them. This ones burst with confidence and cleverness, what seemed like malice almost getting lost in their inside. 

Without warning, the three pairs of eyes glowed once again, and then drew together, merging as they touched. In their place, there was a single pair of eyes, a rich golden color, shinning with a bunch of mixed emotions and sensations, struggling in clear conflict. The color stroke Sakura as familiar, though she couldn't tell why. It wasn't until they gazed into her own, only to disappear seconds after, that she noticed why: she knew whose eyes those were.

****

Sakura awoke drenched in cold sweat, her heart beating rapidly. Gasping, she examined her surroundings, relieved to see that she was in her own room. Through the window, a clear night was visible, the moon shinning bright and full. The soft pinks and whites of her room were all around her, even in the cover that now laid tangled between her legs. Soft snores came from the drawer in the desk, and the stuffed animal collection she still kept watched her from the other end of the room. Still, none of this brought her comfort. 

Struggling with the blanket, she got up from her bed and grabbed the bathrobe from the hanger at the door and put it on. Carefully, she opened the window and climbed out the ledge. She debated to whether or not to leave the Mirror in her place, but decided against it, not wanting to risk waking Kero up.  Closing the window behind her, she gracefully jumped to the ground, landing softly. From there, she jogged to end of the block. Certain no one, including her Guardian, could see her now, she took out the Key of Clow, which now held the power of her Star, and pronounced the incantation necessary to release it. Then, she selected The Fly, which granted her wings. She took off.

****

Barely five minutes later, she landed in the terrace of a familiar apartment building. Resealing both card and key, she took a peak inside the room to which the terrace led. It was a simple room, decorated in ochre, brown, and dark green tones. Inside was a desk, some bookshelves, a closet, a bed, and little more (though numerous photographs decorated it). In the bed lay the sleeping form of Li Syaoran. 

Sakura knew that it was far too late for a visit; two in the morning isn't considered a very social hour. Yet, upon waking up from that dream, she had to make sure he was okay. Which he seemed to be.  Moonlight fell on his face, making his features look angelic, his hair soft. Without the almost perpetual frown in his face, he looked almost like the carefree boy he should be. Almost. The air around him seemed to tingle with power, both magical and that of character. 

Unable to resist a sudden impulse, the sorceress outside the room opened the balcony doors and entered the room. She was less than two paces from the bed, when its occupant suddenly woke up, reaching for the dagger under his pillow and sitting up in a single, graceful movement. Startled by this, Sakura froze. Syaoran spotted her, and put the dagger on his bedside table. Running a hand through his messy hair, he spoke.

            "God, Sakura, you scared me. What are you doing here at," he checked the digital clock on his bedside, "2:43 in the morning?"

            "And here I thought you'd be glad to see me…" Sakura said with a sight, a tiny smile on her features.

            "I'm always happy to see you, sweetie. Ecstatic." He answered, motioning her to come closer. She obliged, and sat down on the edge of the bed and gave him a peck on the cheek. "I'm just curious." 

            "Can't I just suddenly decide to visit my boyfriend, whom I love very much, without being questioned so much?" She asked, the smile on her lips widening as he pulled her towards him so that she was sitting on his lap. "I had a vision." She admitted, taking one of his hands into hers and playing with it.

            "About?" Syaoran asked softly.

            "I don't know. I was on a big, black place, all alone. I reached for my key, to use the Light card, but it wasn't there. Suddenly, lightning started falling around me. I started running; a strange feeling was pulling me towards a shrine to my… right, I think. I'm not sure, it kept switching locations. Anyways, suddenly it disappeared; the feeling left me, too. And then, a bolt of lightning landed on me."

            "On you? You mean, on the ground in front of you?"

            "No, _on_ me. For a second, all I felt was pain. I dropped to my knees, and the pain was gone. I looked up, and there, floating right in front of me, was the strangest thing. It seemed like a bubble, only filled with shinny liquids, which changed color. First it was silvery blue, then white, and then gold. I couldn't resist the urge to touch it. As soon as I did, a lot of light came from inside it, illuminating the area around me. I realized I was standing on the center of the temple."

            "On realty, it wasn't a temple, more like a bunch of columns standing in circle. They were black, and seemed to be made of marble. Or maybe limestone? I couldn't tell. Suddenly, I saw something out of the corner of my eyes. I turned around, and saw three pairs of eyes. One pair was white, one gray, and one black. The white ones made me feel secure, comfortable, as did the gray ones. Only the gray ones awoke the most curious sensation in me… like I had to prove myself to them… Weird. And the black ones… they looked, I don't know. Its hard to describe They seemed cunning and clever and… evil. Powerful, too. All of them seemed to held a lot of power."

            "Then, the tree pairs of eyes glowed, and they _merged_ into a single pair. The eyes seemed conflicted, as if they were caught between possibilities. They looked at me, piercing through my very soul. Those eyes… they were amber colored, but shone golden. They were gorgeous… Much like yours." Syaoran blushed slightly at this. "In fact, that's why I came. I'm sure those were your eyes I saw, and when I woke up I was afraid something had happened to you." Her voice trembled slightly, and she shifted her pose so that she could hug him. Putting her arms around his neck, she continued. "I just had to come and see if you were all right. Which you are, aren't you?"

            "Of course I'm okay. But I'm glad you came. I can never see too much of you. But, what do you think your vision meant?"

            "I have no idea… Perhaps we should ask Eriol."

            "Let's not and say we did."

            "Syaoran…"

            "Okay, we'll ask four-eyes… But tomorrow."

            "Yes, tomorrow." Sakura yawned. Suddenly, she didn't want to go back to her own house. "Mind if I stay the night?"

            "Not at all."  With that, Syaoran moved to the side, and Sakura settled comfortably beside him, her head resting on his bare, muscular chest, his hands around her slim waist. Almost immediately, the Card Mistress fell asleep. Her boyfriend, however, stayed awake for a few minutes more, absorbed in gazing at the young woman in his arms. To him, she was perfection personified; her pale, creamy skin shone, her back rose and fell with each breath. The corners of her mouth were permanently turned up slightly, making her look cheerful even in her sleep. The aura around her was warm and intoxicating, the power contained within it pulsating softly, making him feel both contented and drowsy. Kissing the top of her head softly, he sighted. An angel.  

***The Next Morning***

_Knock. Knock. Knock._

Someone's persistent beating on the apartment door awoke Meiling from her deep slumber. Groggily, she checked the alarm clock on her bedside; 12:26 AM. Who the hell was knocking at this un-holy hours of a Saturday? She ignored the noise and settled back into bed beside her husband, hoping whoever it was would go away. The noise stopped after awhile, only to be replaced by a distant, jingling sound, like that of keys. Then, she heard the door being open. Rather reluctantly, she arose from bed, put on a bathrobe, and left the comfort of her room.

            "Hello? Is anybody up?" Meiling was greeted by Daidouji Tomoyo's melodious, yet loud, voice. Suppressing a yawn, she joined the other girl in the living room.

            "What are you doing here so early, Tomoyo? And how exactly did you get in?"

            "Hello to you too, Meiling! I got in using the key Syaoran gave me."

            "He gave you a key?"

            "Why, yes. In case of emergencies."

            "Um…right. But what are you doing here?"

            "Actually, I came to check if my kawaii Sakura-chan was here! Her brother called, yelling something about Sakura disappearing and her better not being anywhere near the gaki or else he'll, and I quote, 'break him into so many pieces, neither all the King's soldiers, nor all the King's men would be able to put Syaoran Li together again'. I told him she was at my house."

            "Touya's being reading nursery rhymes? I guess he wanted to find something to match his brain age level…"

            "That's mean."

            "I know. But Sakura's not here. At least I don't think she is; I didn't see her here last night. You should ask Syaoran though, he usually has an idea of her whereabouts."

            "Whose whereabouts?" asked a deep, masculine voice from behind the girls. "Good morning, Meiling. Oh, hi Cam-girl."

            "Hello, Keisuke."

"Good morning Keisuke!" Meiling greeted her husband with a kiss. He was a tall fellow, with short, dirty blonde hair and gray-blue eyes. "And it's Sakura we're looking for."

            "In that case, you'd better ask Wolf-boy. I'll do it for you, if you want." He walked towards the room directly in front of his, knocked once, and then tried to open the door. It was locked. "Hey, Meiling! Could I borrow a hairpin, please?" The Chinese girl took one from her hair, letting it hang loose. Keisuke briefly noted how good it looked on her, and made a mental note to tell her so later. Taking the offered pin, the young man introduced it into the keyhole, and maneuvered with it until he heard a soft click. He then opened the door, and poked his head in.

            "I don't think you have to keep looking!" he called. "Sakura's right here! Hey you, sleepyheads, wake up!" He tossed one of the green cushions that lay on the floor towards the bed, which landed on Syaoran's head. The sleeping boy ignored him. He threw another one. Without opening his eyes, Syaoran called, "I was hoping you'd go away."

            "Nah… I like to annoy you. Besides, they're looking for Ying Fa."

            "Tell them she's not here and that they should look somewhere else… Like Antartica or something." The girl in question said, shifting her position in the bed and pulling the covers over her head. 

            "You heard the woman." Syaoran turned his back at his friend, and once again put his arms around Sakura.   

            "Kawaii!" squealed Tomoyo, her head hidden behind her camcorder, walking to stand beside Keisuke. 

            "Tsk, tsk! Such laziness!" said Meiling, walking towards the bed and pulling the covers off in a single, quick movement.

            "Hey!" The sleeping couple protested.

            "C'mon, Syaoran, Sakura, time to wake up!"

            "I don't want to. I'm comfortable right now." Sakura said.

            "Well, I'm hungry! I want pancakes!" Meiling exclaimed.

            "Go make them yourself." Syaoran told her.

            "I don't want _any_ pancakes. I want the ones you make!" She pulled her cousin's arm, successfully dragging him off the bed until he hit himself with the floor. "Ouch!"

            "Are you okay?" Sakura asked. She rolled across the king-sized bed, coming face to face with her beloved.

            "Yes. But I think its time to get up."

            "Will you make pancakes?" Sakura wanted to know.

            "Do I have a choice?"

            "No!" Meiling called from the doorway. 

            "Jeez… doesn't she seem TOO moody to you, even by pregnancy standards?"

            "Don't think I didn't hear that, Li Syaoran!" 

Sakura giggled. "C'mon sweetie. Better do as she says." With that, they went to the kitchen.

*****

            "Yum. Now _this_ is what I was talking about." Meiling said in between mouthfuls of pancakes. Her friends sweatdropped, doing the best to grab a bite before she finished all of the pancakes. 

            "Easy there, honey. You can choke if you eat that much, that fast." Keisuke said. 

            "Here are more pancakes." Syaoran placed a plate full on the table, taking off the polka-dot chef's hat he was hearing. Most of the pancakes were immediately taken by Meiling.

            "Good thing you made more," Tomoyo commented, "Eriol will be joining us around…" she checked the time "..now."

            " Good mor-ning!" A familiar voice called from the living room.

            "Isn't it too early to deal with Four-eyes?"

            "Syaoran, be nice!" Sakura chided. 

            "Hi, sweetie! We're in the kitchen!" Tomoyo called.

            "I see your having breakfast… though perhaps it would be more appropriate to call it lunch, taking into account the fact that its almost 2 in the afternoon." Eriol observed, taking a piece of pancake out of Meiling's plate and earning himself a blow from the hungry girl. "Hmm. Quite tasty. I'm assuming you made them, my cute descendant?"

            "What part of 'Don't call me that' don't you get?"

            "I heard you want to speak with me, Sakura. Am I correct?" Eriol said, ignoring Syaoran's remark. "Also, I brought Kero with me, he's in the living room, trying to figure out how to connect the X-box to the TV.  I thought you would want him present." 

            "Yes, I do… how did you know I wanted to speak to you?"

            "He wouldn't be the un-cute ancestor if he didn't know this kind of thing. It's part of his job description." Keisuke casually explained.

            "Er… right." Tomoyo said. "What did you wanted to talk to Eriol about, anyways, Sakura-chan?"

            "Well..."

*****

About seven minutes later, Kero had joined them, and Sakura had just finished explaining her dream. Now, they sat in the living room, trying to figure out what the vision meant.

"I don't think this particular dream is showing you an event in the future, Sakura." Kero said. 

"Then what else can it be, Kero?"

"Well, you see Sakura, there are three main kinds of visions: past, future, and universal. Past and future visions show you exactly that: past events and possible futures, for nothing about the future is certain. Universal visions, however, are a bit more complicated; they show what is happening now, or what will happen in the immediate future. They don't show actions, but rather elements meant to be interpretated. In a way, all human beings, even non-magical ones, have this dreams. In non-magical people, they talk about that person's worries, expectations, desires…  In your case, though, I believe your dream is trying to explain a current magical situation, or one that might develop."  

"That was very informative, but we still don't know what Sakura's dream means, cotton fluff." Meiling remarked.

"Well, we'll just how to go piece by piece, won' we?" Eriol said. "You said you saw my cute descendant's eyes, right?" Sakura nodded. " That means that, whatever it is, he's involved. I'm thinking the thunderbolts striking you might mean that you will suffer pain… though I'm not sure whether it's physical or emotional." Sakura winced slightly at this, but was reassured by Syaoran's hand on her shoulder. "And that temple you described… it sounds vaguely familiar… like a memory from Clow. But I'm not sure."

"We could check your old journals." Syaoran suggested. "Whatever that temple is, if you remember it, its probably there."   

"You're right brat, Clow wrote everything down Even stupid little things like where the best apple trees grew and the correct way to tie up shoelaces…"

"Hey! That could prove important!"

"Sure."

"Well," Sakura said "I think we should check the journals. Where are they?"

"Most of them are in Hong Kong," Syaoran answered "I have a few here in the apartment, but I doubt there's anything about a temple in those, though."

"I  a several of them in my house." Eriol said, "Syaoran, why don't you go for them? The rest of us will wait for you here, and we'll get started as soon as you arrive."

"Why me?" 

"So we can discuss your birthday without you overhearing!" Tomoyo chirped happily. 

"Birthday?" Syaoran asked.

"Yes. Your birthday. July 13th?Tomorrow?" Keisuke said.

"But why can't I listen to you?" Syaoran asked.

"Because then it won't be a surprise! Now go!" Sakura ushered him towards the door. "Besides, it won't take that long! An hour, tops. Why don't you take Kero?" She pushed the little guardian into his hands, much to the pair's dislike. "Ask Nakuru to help you get the books you need! Bye, sweetie! Be careful!" She closed the door behind them.

"Now," Tomoyo started, "I think green…"

***

            "Typical, I'm always stuck with the worst part in everything. Me, the great Cerberus, the beast with the golden eyes, babysitting the brat… What is the world coming to!"

            "Shut up, stuffed animal! You'll attract attention! Besides, I'm none too happy either."

            "Sure, I can see how I could catch the attention of thousands in this dark, empty side street which you just _had_ to take in order to avoid running into that classmate of yours… what's her name? Roxanne? I don't see what the problem is."

            "I'm just not in the mood to be lectured about why I'm killing the Earth by wearing shoes or cologne or Kami knows what is it this time… Besides, she'll try to drag me to one of her crazy protests in Tokyo."

            "Complaints, complaints. You're a whiny brat, you know that?"

            "Shut up, cotton fluff." The response Syaoran expected never came. He turned around, to where Kero had been flying slightly behind him. "Cotton fluff…?" There was Kero, trapped in a sort of crystal floating diamond. "What the heck happened? How'd you get in there?" Kero's answer was to beat against the diamond's wall with his fists and mouth incomprehensible words. "Don't worry, fluff, I'll get you out." Syaoran called for his sword, which appeared immediately. He raised his sword, and was about to strike the crystal cage, when something in Kero's expression made him stop. He was mouthing something again, and pointing at something behind Syaoran. Syaoran turned around slowly, and was quite surprised to see 18 or so warriors standing in attack positions, all glaring menacingly at him.

            The soldiers looked like humans, except they had no eyes, just empty sockets. Their skin was pale and grayish, and it looked sort of old. They were all dressed in black tunics, wearing identical medallions: silver, in the form of an equilateral triangle. The swords they held were made of a remarkable metal, which looked remarkably sharp an strong, despite their being millennia old. The dark warriors had no shadow.

             As one, the troop uttered a low howl, and charged towards Syaoran. The warrior had no choice but to counter-attack, even though he knew nothing about these 'people' or the purpose of this assault. Despite being outnumbered, Syaoran bought well; he lunged, thrust, ducked, and slashed in every direction, successfully destroying about two thirds of them. But Syaoran was tiring quickly, the cuts and bruises inflicted by his opponents taking its toil.  Furthermore, his enemies were now resorting to throwing small magic balls at him. Regardless, he kept fighting and came close to beating them.

            Perhaps he would have, had the 'lady' not appeared. Taking advantage of the sorcerer's concentration on his fight, she summoned a gigantic black ball of energy, which she shot at Syaoran's back. It hit the back of his neck, paralyzing  his muscles instantly. He fell to the floor, his head hitting the pavement with a dull thud, blacking out instantly. The remaining attackers backed off, and their swords banished in a little swirl of smoke.

            "Good job, my minions, well done. You may rest now." At this words, the soldiers, alive and dead, disappeared in a second swirl of smoke. Next, the unmistakably female figure imprisoned Syaoran's comatose body in a crystal bubble. Turning to the still trapped guardian, she told him, "Go now. Tell your Mistress that if she ever wishes to see her beloved again, she will have to find me. I have no doubt she will figure out how. Oh, and tell her she has until midday tomorrow, or else, Lover Boy dies." With a swish of her black cloak, the witch turned around, and with her price floating beside her, she vanished into the darkness.  

Instantly, the guardian was released. Not wasting a second, Kero flew in the direction of Syaoran's apartment, both desperate and reluctant to inform his Mistress of this attack.

*************To Be Continued******************

So, what do you think? I'm sorry there's not much action in this chapter… but he best parts of the flashback are in the second part, which should be up in about a week and a half… I hope you liked this, anyways. Any suggestions, comments, praise, or criticism is welcome and cherished. Please review!

Kirjava-chan

(kirjava_ffn@yahoo.com.mx)


	3. The Fight With The Witch

Yey! I'm soooooooooooo happy! I've just checked out my story and I have THIRTY-EIGHT reviews! I love it! I love all my reviewers! You are the best! An inspiration! 

Now, this is the second and last part of the flashback. That's right, folks! After this, you'll finally find out whether Syaoran dies or not! (and then… the real story can begin…hehe) Oh, soryy. You have no idea what I'm talking about, right? Well, you'll see… and I do believe you'll like it.

I'm so sorry the chapter came out late, but I had to deal with the BIGGEST and looonnnggggeeessst Social Studies project in the history of mankind (I got 96! Go me!). So, I was working non-stop for the last two weeks, and thus couldn't update. Please forgive me!

Disclaimer: *plucks a petal from a flower* I own it *plucks another one* I own it not *****pucks another* I own it *plucks the last one* I own it not… Lousy flower… What do you know, anyways!

*****Continuation of Gigantic Flashback Which Pretends To Explain How The Heck Did Syaoran Ended So Messed Up****

or

***Somewhere Far Away, Too Dark To Tell Where***

            The cave/improvised temple was very dark. And humid. The darkness she liked, but humidity was a problem… Oh well, she wouldn't be here for long. That stupid little Card Mistress and the Clow wanna-be were sure to figure out who she was. After all, the stuffed animal/Guardian Beast had recognized her, she had made sure of that. Once they knew who she was, tracking her down should be no problem for them. Unless Clow magic had lost its strength. Clow magic… she could still remember its taste: strong, bittersweet heat traveling from her mouth to the rest of her body. She could still feel it faintly, moving through her bloodstream. 

            She looked towards her captive. She, or rather her minions, had chained him to the one of the walls, using dark silver (which, after a fashion and some time, absorbs and contains light magic), to be sure he couldn't escape. Not that he was in any condition to escape; the spell she had used was sure to keep him unconscious for some time. Aside from the chains, he was blindfolded; over the centuries, she had found that complete and utter darkness made the desperation process faster for her captives.  She had to admit, her hostage was quite a catch; chiseled muscles, sharp features, messy brown hair… yum. She was quite curious as to the color of his eyes, which she hadn't seen yet. Oh well, it didn't really matter. By this time tomorrow, he, the Card Mistress, and Clow junior would be dead, as well as anyone else who dared oppose her.  

            Walking towards the seeing pool in the center of the room, she wondered what her little puppets were doing now. 

_"I don't know Sakura. But I do know who she is." He looked at Eriol, and held his gaze. "Arielle."_

            Good, good; they had found her out. They were bound to be here soon… A rattling of chains disrupted her train of thought; it seemed her guest was awake. Walking casually she approached him, and began to talk. "Well, well, it was about time you awoke. I've been worried sick about you!" she exclaimed in mock concern. 

            "Who are you? Where are we? Why have you brought me here?" Syaoran asked, enraged, as memories of the previous fight began to surface. He could remember the warriors, the pain in his back (which still remained), but he had no recollection of this… woman? Was she a woman? Syaoran thought so, based on her voice. But then again, he was blindfolded.

            "Easy… one question at a time. I'll answer, but first, you must shut up," With a hand gesture, the lady magically sealed Syaoran's mouth, "Who I am? Well, that's no concern of yours… Where are we? Do you really care? We're in some cave in the middle of nowhere. Why did I bring you here? Well, I really have no reason to tell you… But on the other hand, I do so enjoy revealing my evil plans to my captives; their deaths taste somewhat sweeter that way.

            "You, my friend, are bait. I'm interested in the Card Mistress. In her power, to be more exact. You see, I can't get to that sneaky sorceress myself; she has way too much protection: that deck of over-rated poker cards, Simba, Birdman, you, Clow junior, the over-sized kitty, and that hermaphrodite butterfly…. Its practically impossible to get to her. So, what did I do? I decided to make her come to me! And what's the easiest way to manipulate the little witch? Threaten those for whom she cares and loves. And that's where you, my friend, come in; I must be honest, I have never seen to people as connected as you two. The bond between your souls is like a beacon on a mountaintop* to anyone with a magical sight, and even to some normal people, like that crazy/obsessed friend of yours… the one with the big purple eyes. And that overprotective guy that follows you two around with all that high-tech gadgets.

            "Amazed I know so much about you and the sorceress's life? Well, I must admit I've been watching you two for quite some time… around 10 years to be exact. Yes, I'm no hasty villain, I plan my work well. I've observed each and everyone of you and your friends, memorized every detail about your lives, your dreams, your past. I know your characters and the way you think front to back and back to front; I can predict exactly what any of you would do in any given situation.

            "That's precisely what enabled me to prepare this little scheme…and to guarantee its success. But I'm wandering off topic, am I not? My apologies; I tend to get a little carried away. Bottom line is, by noon tomorrow, your kawaii little girlfriend will be here, and you will have a front row seat to a once-in-a-lifetime event: the spiritual death of a Card Mistress. But don't weep, you will soon follow her… you'll make quite a tasty dessert." The sorceress stopped her pacing and elaborate hand gestures, and eliminated the spell bounding Syaoran's voice.

            "Sakura will see through it! She will not fall for your trap, you stupid witch!"

            "But my dear Syaoran," the dark one turned to face him, "she already did.

****Another Scene Change, Now To Syaoran's Apartment, Parallel To the Scene Described Above***

or

****When Kero Reached the Apartment****

"…so that's it, then." Tomoyo said, having just finished a very long debate over what was better, chocolate or angel cake. Just then, there was a loud tap on the window. Or perhaps it should be qualified as a slap… maybe a splat? Tomoyo looked up, and noticed that while she had been sitting, pondering over the correct term for the noise, her friends had gone to check what it was.

"Kero?" Sakura asked "What are you doing here so soon? And where's Syaoran?"

"And why the heck did you try to enter through the_ closed_  window?" Keisuke asked, dangling the semi-conscious Guardian from his tail.

"Oh, Kami… I need some pudding…" Kero muttered, shaking his little head. "Hey, let go!" He flew away from Keisuke, and stopped in midair, suddenly remembering why he had rushed back, not noticing that the window was closed. "Sakura! Sakura! She took the gaki!"

"Syaoran? What happened to him? Who took him?" Sakura asked, alarmed.

"Some weird, dark woman kidnapped him!"

"What?"

"Well, first we were walking through this dark alley, because the gaki said he didn't want to run into this weird gal. Then, *POOF!*, I'm suddenly inside this weird crystal thingy, and there are these zombie warrior guys who just *WHAM!* start attacking the gaki, and I'm like *ACK!*, but the gaki is *SWOOSH* and *CLANK!* with that sword of his, and then this freaky lady *POOF!*, out of nowhere, and its like *ACK!*, and then the lady summons this black ball of magic and *SWISH!* it hits the gaki and *PUM!* he lands in the floor, and the warriors *POOF!* to Kami knows where and the freaky lady is like 'Hehehe… I won!' and she walks towards me and I'm like 'AHHH! What the heck do you want?!' and she's like 'Tell your Mistress to come for the gaki before tomorrow at lunch time or he dies' and then she *SNAP!* puts the gaki in a crystal thingy *POOF!* they're gone and I'm free, so I fly and fly and fly and fly and *SMACK!* I crash into the window and you are like 'What the…?' so I start—"

            "Okay, fluff ball, that's enough! I can't get a word you're saying!" Meiling snapped.    

            "Cerberus," Eriol said, using his 'Voice of Reason' tone, "could you calmly explain what happened?"

Kero took a deep breath, trying to calm his beating heart. "We were ambushed; some weird warriors attacked us. I was trapped in some sort of crystal, so the kid had to fight alone. There were about 20 warriors, and they were more than a match. Then, this lady, I'm guessing she was a dark sorceress, appeared. She summoned a ball of black magic and threw it at the brat; he landed unconscious on the floor. The witch told the warriors to go, and she put Syaoran in the same sort of crystal cage that I was in. Then, she turned to me and said: 'Tell the Card Mistress that if she ever wants to see the boy alive again, she has to find me before midday tomorrow. After noon, he dies.' Then she's gone." Kero had spoken slowly and in a monotone, in hopes that his message would be better understood.

"Sh-she took Syaoran?" Sakura asked, her voice trembling. 

"But how?" Tomoyo asked.

"I just explained! She-" Kero started saying annoyed, but was interrupted by Keisuke.

"She means why, Kero." Keisuke tried to clarify. A tear slid out of the corner of Sakura's eye. Maybe this was what the dream had been trying to warn her about, and she had just been to dense to see it. She wiped the tear away; she couldn't, wouldn't cry. Not now, that Syaoran needed her. Crying would solve nothing. Everything would be okay; she would get Syaoran back. Nothing could stop her. And when she found that witch… oh, she'll be sorry she ever messed with Card Mistress Sakura. Looking up, she addressed Kero.

"Yes, Kero, why did she take Syaoran?" The others in the room were alarmed by the steel that adorned her emerald eyes.

"I don't know Sakura. But I do know who she is." He looked at Eriol, and held his gaze. "Arielle."

****Yet Another Dramatic Pause, Only This Time, You Have No Idea Why, Nor Does The Name 'Arielle' Shock You. Also, It's A Scene Change****

****Back in the Dark Cave****

            "You really think you'll get away with this, don't you?" Syaoran asked, his head leaning in the direction she guessed the sorceress was in. He was terrified, not so much for himself, but for Sakura. The witch was right; Sakura wouldn't let anyone get away with hurting him. She would be here as soon as she found out where 'here' was. That was what scared him. Despite Sakura's astounding powers, he wasn't as confident about her easy triumph as he usually was; his magical senses had been clouded by the dark sorceress's aura of hate, evil, and most of all, raw power, enough power to rival, and perhaps surpass, that of Sakura's. But there was no way in hell he would let the witch know that; he had to intimidate her, damp her confidence somehow.  Perhaps then she would end this scheme. Or maybe the witch herself would give him a clue of how to escape in one of her monologues; anyway, he had to keep her talking. "Well, you wont. Sakura could beat you with one hand tied to her back. She's the universe's most powerful sorceress, for goodness sake! You don't stand a chance."

            "Oh, but I do, Little Wolf," the sorceress started walking towards him. "More than one, I believe. Or rather, all of them. You can now cease your pathetic attempt to scare me. It is useless. There is absolutely no way the Card Mistress can destroy me. None at all." She stopped now, inches from his face, her voice a soft whisper now. Syaoran instinctively recoiled from her face; the sweetness of her breath carried death with it. The sorceress brought a hand up to caress the cheek of her captive. But the minute her hand touched his skin, her enhanced sight saw a flash of images. Images flashed by, to fast to be acknowledged in their majority; wings, blood, light, arrows, power… and three pairs of glowing eyes.

            Taken aback, the sorceress let go of Syaoran's face. Confused, she turned away and walked towards the seeing pool.

            "Show me the vision I just had!" she ordered in a commanding tone. Immediately, the water swirled and changed color, until an image was clear in it. The pool showed a temple, or rather, a lot of columns arranged in a circular fashion that resulted strangely familiar to the sorceress. _"The Temple of the Fates…?"_ She thought, confused. _"But thought it had been destroyed…"_ She was even more startled by what she saw next: three women were standing in its center, one with white eyes, one with silver eyes, and the last one… was her. 

Holding back a gasp, she frowned at the picture. _"Sabriel? Lirael?" _She saw herself and  the other two battling, power of all types surging through the sky, golden arrows flying a mile a minute. Then, it stopped. A bubble of liquid light formed right in the center of the battle ground, growing in size and brightness steadily. Inside she saw a silhouette, unmistakably  masculine. It stood tall and proud, when suddenly, wings sprouted from the figure's back: big, beautiful, black, feathery wings.  The Arielle in the vision gave a step back as the figure looked up, opening his eyes and revealing a pair of deep golden eyes.She looked at the image in the pool, him trapped in the bubble of liquid light, the black wings, the intense look. _No… it can't be! Not now, when I'm so close!"_

Something in the figure struck her as familiar. Following her instinct, she walked back to where Syaoran was. With a trembling hand, she removed his blindfold. Brilliant eyes of pure gold blinked back at her. 

***Third Dramatic Pause, Designed To Build Tension After Such a Supposedly Shocking Scene… Oh, And Scene Change ***

            "Arielle? Are you sure, Cerberus?" Eriol questioned, his azure eyes showing fear for the briefest for seconds, before immediately changing back to their normal calmness. 

            Kero nodded. "Positive. At first I didn't recognize her, but her eyes gave her away."

            "Arielle? Who's that?" Meiling asked.

            "Arielle is a dark sorceress." Eriol answered. "No, scratch that. She's THE dark sorceress. Neither Clow nor I know really where she came from, we only know that she's immortal. She had already lived for several millennia before Clow came along.

            "Arielle feeds on magic; light magic, to be exact. She wants it for something... For what, I don't know.  But every century or so, she seeks the most powerful source of light magic, and goes after it. It happened to Clow…"

            "You mean Arielle was the one that killed Clow Reed?" Tomoyo asked.

            "But I though he had died of old age…" Keiske trailed off. "At least, that is what the Clan told us."

            "He did." Kero answered "Only it is not as simple as you have been thought to believe."

            "How so?" Sakura asked.

            "When Clow encountered Arielle, he was around 70 years old. Now, by normal people's standards, that's a fairly old age. But for a magician like Clow, who wielded an amazing amount of power, even after the creation of the cards, death was still a long time away. He could have easily reached the age of 150.

            "But he met Arielle… She cleverly deceived him, tricked him into her lair. Once there, Clow discovered her plan and tried to fight her, without success. None of his attacks had the least effect on her. At last, Clow managed to contain her long enough to escape; but by then, she had absorbed most of his magic, leaving him with barely enough to return to his home. Even so, he survived for three more months. But it was awfully painful for him."

            "But Eriol," Sakura asked, "why did Clow die? Couldn't he just exist as a normal human without magic?"

            "It's not as easy as that, Sakura." Kero explained. "You seem, magic is a sorcerer's life force. You may not realize this, but every organ in your body functions partly with magic. No, that's not right; let me rephrase it. Organisms can stay alive for as long as their body functions properly. But _why_ do they? There is something pushing them, keeping their bodies working, keeping them alive. It has nothing to do with the _conscious_ will to live, like friends, family, pudding… its more of an innate thing, a subconscious instinct. That's their life force. If an organism's life force ceases to exist, for any reason, its spirit dies, taking its physical self with it. Although, some can survive for awhile without it, like Clow did. 

            "Now, a sorcerer's magic is his life force. Or rather, a sorcerer's life force is his magic; magicians just happen to have been born with the ability to transform this life force into physical energy. One way or another, when their magic is taken away, they die.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      

            "So this Arielle gal... she's going to absorb Syaoran's magic?" Tomoyo asked, with a small tremor in her voice.

            "Probably." Eriol answered.

            "I have a question." Keisuke stated "You said that Arielle seeks the most powerful source of light magic, right? The why did she take Syaoran instead of Sakura? She's a lot more powerful than he is…"

            "It's a trap." Kero answered. "Arielle knows that Sakura is too well protected for her to kidnap her." 

            "So then it is my fault…" Sakura mumbled, too low for anyone else to hear. Syaoran was in mortal peril, and all because of her. For the first time, she cursed her magic abilities; if it weren't for them, Syaoran wouldn't be in danger. But then again, if she had no magic, then she wouldn't have met Syaoran. Never meeting Syaoran… she didn't like how that sounded. Or perhaps they would have met anyways, perhaps destiny and fate would have led them to each other. Anyways, cursing her magic wasn't the solution; instead, she would use it to get Syaoran back. And when she did… That Arielle had better not touched a single hair on his head or else she'll see what Card Mistress Sakura was capable of. "How can we find Arielle?" 

            "Didn't you here me, Sakura? It's a trap!" Kero exclaimed.

            "I heard you, Kero. But I don't care; I'm getting Syaoran back, even if it's the last thing I ever do."

"Don't you get it , Sakura? It might be the last thing you do!" Kero protested "Arielle is both awfully powerful and completely evil! Not a very nice combination, let me tell you. She is out to get you and nothing will stop her! Clow couldn't, Merlin couldn't… I know your way more powerful than they were, but still… I don't want to loose another Mistress."

"You wont, Kero. Please try to understand; I have to do everything I can to save Syaoran. I know you don't want to loose me, but I don't want to loose him."

"But, Sak-"

"Besides, you said Arielle would stop at nothing to get to me. So I really have no choice; whether its now or later, she'll keep trying."

"Please, Sak-" 

"No! I'm not changing my mind! I'm sorry Kero, but I'm going, whether you want me to or not. I'm getting him back."  

"It's decided then." Eriol sighted, resigned. He didn't like the idea of his half-daughter walking into Arielle's trap, even if she knew it was a trap, but she was right: there was no choice. Sooner or later, Arielle would find her. And besides, they had to get his cute little descendant back. "We're going. I'll set up the location spell." 

"You will? Thank you so much, Eriol!"

"What? You too, Eriol?" Kero yelped, dismayed. 

"I'll get the stuff for the spell!" Keisuke called. 

"Keisuke?! Are you crazy? She can't go!" Kero protested.

"Kei-kun! Wait! I'll show you were they are!"

"She-brat?! Are you nuts?!" wailed Kero.

"And I'll go prepare an incredible outfit for my incredible, kawaii Sakura-chan to rescue Syaoran-kun in! It'll be so kawaii! I can't wait to tape it!"

"Tomoyo… Kami, help us." Kero resigned himself. Sure, he didn't want to loose Sakura… that's why, instead of trying to persuade her, he was going to make sure she was well-prepared.

"Hoe! Tomoyo, you can't go! It'll be dangerous!"

"And exciting! Besides, Eriol's going, Kero's going, Keisuke's going, Meiling's going… Why can't I go? And if I don't, then who'll tape this adventure?"

"Tomoyo; Keisuke, Kero and I have magic. We are more prepared to defend ourselves-" Eriol tried to explain, while managing some weird looking crystals.

"Meiling doesn't and she's going." Tomoyo pointed out.

"No, she's not!" Keisuke.

"What? Who says I'm not going?"

"Sweetie, be reasonable. You're pregnant. You can't go."

"Like hell I can't! I will not sit here, while you are in danger, waiting to see if you manage to get Syaoran back. He's my cousin, you know?" said Meiling.

"And my friend." Tomoyo finished.

"And we're going." They both chorused.

"Kami, help me… Okay, you can both go. But please, be-" Sakura was interrupted by a yell.

"I've got it! I know where they are!" Eriol exclaimed.

***Tun-Tun-Tun!(Pathetic Attempt At Suspense Music) Scene Change! Hooray!***

            What little light resided in the cave assaulted Syaoran's eyes, and he had to blink several times before his vision returned. The first thing he saw was a very beautiful woman with long, jet-black hair and skin so pale, it surpassed even Eriol's.  But her eyes… Syaoran felt a wave of chills pass through his body. Her eyes were black, too black to be human, too black be real. In them shinned a spark of evil and cunningness, of cleverness and… fear? What was she afraid of? Was she even afraid, or had he just imagined it?      

            She suddenly turned away and walked towards the pool in the center of the cave, muttering to herself and running a delicate hand through her hair. Suddenly, she came to a stop, seemingly reaching a conclusion.

            "It doesn't matter. I'll just have to kill him before… before he ever finds out." He heard her say in a deep, melodious voice. Syaoran was puzzled; it was obvious that by _him_ she meant himself, but what was she talking about? What wasn't he supposed to find out? And why? It didn't matter for now, the important thing was to escape. With those thoughts in mind, Syaoran started fumbling with the chains around his wrists, looking for a weak link.

            But let's take a look at our antagonist's head, shall we? 

            The facts were very clear to Arielle; this… this _boy_ had to go. He must not be allowed to discover… whatever it was. She wasn't quite sure why this young man was menace, she just knew he was, and as thus, had to be annihilated. With him gone, and the Card Mistress on her way with that yummy magic reserve of hers, Absolute Power, Global Domination, and Destruction of Civilization would be just around the corner, a month away at most.

            Now, to the issue at hand: How to kill the bastard? A death spell? No, that only worked on magic-less beings. Burned alive? Might result, but it was to slow. The Card Mistress was due to arrive quite soon, and might save him. Hmm… that's it! Why hadn't she seen it sooner? Poison; a deathly one, one that would paralyze him from the inside out, until he was alive but imprisoned in a death body. And then… well, she had nothing against a good appetizer before a meal as grand as the Card Mistress.

            Syaoran was busy with the chains, and didn't see his jailer approach, a sly smile upon her face, a  twinkle in her eyes… a small, crystal bottle in her hands. She reached him, and stopped. Syaoran turned to look at her, and was utterly surprised when she open the bottle and drank the poison in a single gulp. As Syaoran was staring at her, Arielle seized his face and his neck, the sharp incisors on her mouth injecting the poison into the vein at his throat.

            To Syaoran, the poison felt like ice surging through his body, slightly numbing his muscles and his senses. Immediately he knew it to be lethal, and was momentarily overcome by a sudden depression at the prospect that he would die before he got to ask Sakura to marry him, before he was made Clan Leader, before he had a family…perhaps before he even saw Sakura again. There was so much he wanted to say, so much he wanted to do, so much he wanted experience… He would never see his Mother or his sisters again, nor Tomoyo, Meiling, Eriol, Keisuke, Takashi, Chiharu, Naoko, Rika… he would never meet Meiling's kid, so much he would miss… He was barely 18! Life was just beginning!

Then his rational side caught up with what he was thinking, and remorse came. How shameful that he, Syaoran Li, had harbored, however briefly, the thought of giving up. He refused to die! Whatever it took, he would survive this, he would not let this witch win, he would show her that one does no toy with Syaoran Li and gets away with it. Along with these thoughts came a feeling of warmth, as his body began to fight the poison back. However, the death it carried was too strong for his weakened body, and all he was able to do was push it back, lock it away like a bad memory, one that would surface sooner or later.

All, this Arielle watched from the other side of the room. Her puzzlement evolved into rage when she saw that the little rascal just point-blank refused to die. Not to be put down, the sorceress decided that this was actually a good thing; the stronger the life force, the more delicious the meal! Perhaps…perhaps she'd let him live for now, until the Card Mistress arrived… and then she'd kill her, right in front of him. That would be just plain brilliant! _And when he sees her dead_, she reasoned_ his will shall break, at least for a minute… but that's all the poison needs._ Then, she'll kill Clow junior and the Ke-something brat. An all-you-can-eat buffet! At this, a laugh erupted from her lips; soft at first, but growing steadily in volume until it could be heard all around the cave, a musical sound, very unlike the standard demented-villain laugh.

Nevertheless, it scared the hell out of Syaoran.

****Now It's The Time To Go To The Kitchen And Stock Up On Healthy Munchies—Don't Worry, I'll Wait****

***cue: start corny elevator music***

****Good, You're Back, Let Us Continue****

****Wait, the Stupid Tape-Thingy Wont Turn Off! Arghh!****

****CRASH***

****Better. Now Continue****

_"BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA…."_

"What the hell was that?" Keisuke asked. They were currently walking in circles—excuse me, cleverly hiking through the woods that surrounded the cave that Arielle gal was supposedly in. That is, though, if  Wonder Boy (alias Eriol)  had gotten the coordinates right during the spell.

            "No idea. Could be a blood-sucking alien clown, for all I know." Meiling said in a somewhat uncanny*/bitchy sense of humor. The rocky trail didn't agree with her ankles.

            "Maybe we're near a circus?" Sakura proposed.

            "Maybe." Keisuke answered. "Kami knows we have no idea were we are."

            "I know exactly were we are!" Eriol exclaimed.

            "Lost?" Meiling interjected.

            "We are not lost!" Eriol explained "We are just taking the scenery route!"

            "Oh. That's clever, my un-cute ancestor." Eriol glared at him; no one was allowed to work _his_ line of humor. He was about to show that punch-line stealer bastard what a real comeback was like, when Tomoyo's voice was heard from behind her camcorder.

            "Well, I thought it sounded somewhat like an evil-demented-villain-having-a-moment kind of laugh."

            "And how exactly do you know what an evil-demented-villain-having-a-moment kind of laugh sounds like, love?"

            "I thought it sounded a tad like yours, honey."

            "Remind me never to take the room besides yours, 'kay?" said Keisuke. 

            "You know? Tomoyo's right… It does sound like an  evil-demented-villain-having-a-moment kind of laugh." Meiling observed. "What do you think, Sakura?"

            Exactly that second, Sakura felt a sense of comfort invade her senses; the feeling was intoxicating, wrapping around her like a warm blanket on a winter day. "I think… we should take a right turn. I can feel Syaoran's aura coming form that direction.

            "Then a right turn it is."

***Some Three Kilometers Later, Give Or Take A Few Hundred Meters***

            "Yes, let's walk. It is such a great idea! We'll be there in no time." Meiling said in a sing-song voice.

            "Well, if we teleported directly to the cave, she would notice the magic flare." Eriol defended.

            "But still, did you have to orb us 3 hundred thousand miles away from the stupid cave?"

            "Well-"

            "Enough!" Sakura interrupted. "I think this is it." They had reached a clearing in the woods. At the center of it was what seemed to be the entrance to an underground tunnel. Approaching it cautiously, the group saw that some sort of staircase had been carved into the rock. The midmorning sun illuminated the first few feet, but after that, it was all darkness. Calling upon her wand, Sakura released the Light card. "Light card, illuminate the path only to our eyes. Light card!" The group's vision was significantly improved, even though the tunnel remained somewhat shadowy. 

            Walking slowly, Eriol took the lead, his Sun staff in hand. After him came Sakura, her staff out, one hand on the pouch in which she kept the cards. Kero flew beside her. After came Meiling, with Tomoyo close behind. Keisuke was the last one, his two daggers out. He kept looking back frequently, thinking someone might attack from behind. They moved silently, every sense alert. 

            "Sakura, Keisuke, Eriol, did you feel that?" Kero whispered, breaking the silence. Sakura  and Keisuke nodded in response. Almost immediately, the walls of the tunnel began to quiver and a dark liquid oozed out of them. As soon as the liquid touched the ground, it turned into dark, human-like, sword-wielding forms.

            "What the-" Keisuke began, but was interrupted by Kero.

            "It's them! Those are the warriors that attacked us!" Without losing a second, the warriors attacked the group. They were enough of them so that each one was fighting more than three of the creatures a time, and more kept coming.

            Keisuke and Meiling fought back to back, she delivering swift kicks and punches to all who dared approach her,  he piercing through the attackers' odd bodies with his magically enhanced daggers. A particularly large one attacked Meiling, its sword coming down in a deadly arch. Meiling dodged swiftly to the right and swept the sword of its hands with a kick. Then, she kicked its chest, sending it flying to the wall. As the demon struggled to get up, Keisuke decapitated it with one of his daggers, and then turned around and stabbed another one in the chest. Looking briefly up, he spotted Eriol and Tomoyo fighting nearby. 

            Keisuke was surprised to see Tomoyo's method for eliminating warriors. No, she didn't beat them to death with the camcorder; she threw ninja stars at them with deathly precision. As the stars pierced their bodies, they emanated blue sparks, which seemed to burn the creature like acid. _Eriol must have enchanted them for her… I wonder who taught her how to fight like that? Must've been either Meiling or Syaoran…_ Beside her fought Eriol, throwing balls of raw power at the creatures, which destroyed them almost instantly. 

            A little away, Sakura was using both the Sword card and the Arrow card to fight off the demons. The one who attacked her, however, acted oddly. Rather than trying to shred her to pieces like they did to the rest, it seemed they were trying to hit her in the head, as if expecting her to pass out. Sakura concluded that this was because Arielle wanted her alive but defend less. Sakura fought defiantly, destroying any demon who approached her. She was tiring, however, and the mass of demons seemed no thinner. Fending off one more, Sakura took a few seconds to cal upon another card. "Erase card! Erase all the demons! Erase!" Instantly, all the demons in the chamber banished.

            Putting their weapons down, the gang regrouped. Except for quite a few cuts, they all seemed to be alright. "Whew," Meiling said, "I thought we were never going to beat those bastards!"

            "Yes." Said Keisuke "Good idea to use the Erase card, Ying Fa!"

            "Thanks." Sakura answered. "But I don't think we are done yet."

            "What do you mean?" Tomoyo asked.

            "I think those demons weren't meant to destroy us, but to tire us…" Eriol trailed off.

            "So that we'll be weaker when we finally find Arielle." Sakura completed. There was silence as everyone pictured just how powerful Arielle was that she was capable of sparing so much power on toying with her preys. "Kero, maybe you should go back… get Yue, Suppy and Ruby Moon here. We might need them."

            "Yes, Sakura. I'll be right back." With that, Kero flew off, faster than anyone had ever seen him.

"Well then, let's go show her just how strong we are!" Keisuke said.

"Right. Let's go." And together, they set off through the tunnel once again.

***10 min later***

            "ACK! What the hell is this!" exclaimed Keisuke, as he crashed into… nothing.

            "What?" asked Sakura from a few feet ahead.

            "This," explained Eriol, standing besides Keisuke. "It seems to be an invisible wall."

            "Wall? It wasn't there a minute ago!" Sakura ran back to where her four friends stood, banging their hands on seemingly nothing. But there was _something_ there, something smooth and cool to the touch, which seemed to vibrate with shield magic.     

            "Eriol," Tomoyo asked, "Can you blast it out of the way?"

            "Let me see," he answered, summoning a gigantic ball of blue magic and throwing it at the invisible barrier.

            "Hey!" yelled Keisuke, ducking as the ball of energy bounced off the surface and missed him by inches. "Watch it!"

            "Hmm.… It seems to me that this thing reflects magic." Eriol said. "Sakura, why don't you try an attack at the same time as I?"

            "Okay. On my count. 1…2…3!" Blue energy and pink magic crashed into the wall in exactly the same place, opposite sides. As a result, both sides of the wall reflected them, having no effect at all.

            "Well, that went well…" Meiling remarked, as Sakura got ready to release a card from the other side of the wall.

            "Through card! Allow my friends to cross the barrier! Through!" The card's energy charged into the wall… and was thrown backwards at least fifteen feet. "Its okay, Through. Thank you. Return!"

            "So… what are we gonna do about this?" Keisuke asked.

            "Well… I'm thinking maybe Yue and Nakuru could try their arrows…" Eriol answered.

            "But we can't wait for them!" Sakura exclaimed "Arielle could kill Syaoran any minute!"

            "Exactly." Said Eriol. "I think you'll just have to go alone, and we'll catch up as soon as we can."

            "You're right." Sakura said, turning around and sprinting off, before anyone had a chance to protest. 

            "Be careful!" Tomoyo called after her.

            "You too!" came the faint reply.

**** Scene Change.****

            "So… your girlfriend is about to arrive. She'll be here in a few minutes." Arielle paused, watching the horrified expression on Syaoran's face. "Just thought you'd like to know."

            "You're sick, you know that?" Syaoran answered her. "I mean, villains who think they are right are one thing, but those who do things just for the sake of evilness? What kind of psycho are you? Didn't our parents love you or something?"

            Arielle turned to look at him. In a monotonic voice, she said "I had no parents. None at all." She faced the floor now. "Only sisters. Two sisters." For the first time, Syaoran saw a real smile on her face, but it was immediately replaced by a bitter look of utter hurt and sorrow. "But they're gone. Dead." Arielle looked back at him, and now her eyes where truly empty, no spark whatsoever. Suddenly, she smiled that devilish grin of hers. "Just like you will be."

            It was in that second that Sakura walked through the cave entrance. Syaoran immediately spotted her, having been feeling her aura for the past few minutes. In his eyes shone both love and dread, but he turned away from his beloved, intent on not giving her presence away.

            As for Sakura, she was horrified by the state her boyfriend was in. Dry blood dripping from is mouth, and his torn shirt revealed a particularly large, and seemingly deep cut, surrounded by several others. Blood dripped from his neck, and there was a gigantic bruise on his side. His lips looked too pale, as did the rest of his face. His wrists were sore from the chains, and blood dripped from them. He looked awful, and that only increased Sakura's resolve in teaching that Arielle a lesson. It hurt her to see someone she loved so much so visibly in pain.

            Walking on er tiptoes, she crossed the length of the cave towards were the dark sorceress stood. Just when she was about to reach her, Arielle turned around.

****Hold Your Breath…1…2…3…4…5….6…7…8…9…10…Okay, Go On****

            "So, you're finally here. Took your time, didn't you?"

            "Let Syaoran go!"

            "Right to the point, huh? Well, we'll see about that, Card Mistress." Arielle raised her left hand, and a ball of black energy came to being. The energy slowly took the form of a sword, which she raised in an attack position.

            "Sword card! Fight Card! Release!" The battle began, both combatants ran towards each others, swords clashing as they met. Immediately, Sakura took offensive, not knowing whether her defense was strong enough to withstand Arielle's attacks. Sakura brought her sword down, and was blocked by Arielle. This went on for awhile, with Sakura attacking, and Arielle blocking; until Arielle tired and started attacking. The witch thrust her sword at Sakura, but the girl flipped back and brought her weapon down in an attempt to cut her opponent. Yet, Arielle blocked and swiped at her, but Sakura twirled and brought her sword back in time to meet it. 

            The sorceresses  clashed swords again,  their blades infused not only with energy but with magic too. Syaoran saw this from his place in the wall, and prayed to Kami that Sakura would come out of this alive and well. Observant as he was, he noticed the opening in Sakura's defense at the same time Arielle did. 

            Only the dark one didn't go after it with the blade, but with magic. Summoning a ball of black energy, she threw it at Sakura, hitting her side and throwing her off balance and to the floor.

            "This is were it gets rough." She summoned another attack, but Sakura rolled out of the way. She jumped to her feet and dodged another attack. "Sword Card! Fight Card! Return! Firey! Release!" Manipulating the magical fire as years of experience had taught her, Sakura countered her enemy's attacks with her own. The thing was, whenever a ball of fire hit a dark one, both would  dissolve, but whenever fire hit Arielle it just disappeared, causing on damage at all. 

            Sakura gritted her teeth in determination; the Firey needed help. "Watery! Release!" She complemented her attack with water balls, with the same effect. "This is getting nowhere. "Firey! Watery! Return!" She took out another card. "Thunder! Release!" Instantly, bolts of electricity shot at Arielle, but she dodged them gracefully. 

            "So you want to play with electricity? Fine by me!" Dark bolts of lightning shot at the Mistress of the Cards, but she managed to flip out of the way. Electricity flew in every direction, filling the cave with light. "You know, Card Mistress, while this is certainly amusing, its getting a tad old. I guess I'll just have to end it." 

            With her hands in front of her, Arielle summoned a gigantic ball of energy, and threw it at Sakura. The lithe sorceress wasn't able to dodge it, and she was throw against the wall. A 'crack' resonated through the room, and Sakura held her arm in pain. The dark sorceress walked towards her, and stopped about a meter in front of her.

            "Well, let's get down to business. The Cards,  please. No? Oh well, I wasn't expecting you to give up that easily. It doesn't make any difference, any ways. Holding her arms out in front of her, Arielle called "Cards made by Clow! Come to me! I command you to! Sakura Cards!" Slowly, almost reluctantly, the cards flew out of Sakura's grasp and into Arielle's hand's. 

"No!" Sakura protested, jumping to her feet and charging at Arielle, but the dark one sent her back to the wall with a hand motion. Muttering something, the witch turned the cards into a ball of glowing, raw power. It shone so bright, neither Sakura nor Syaoran could look at it. Arielle looked at it greedily, and then pushed it into her chest. She closed her eyes, her whole figure shinning for a second. Then it was over, and the Sakura Cards were no more. 

"Delicious. Now its your turn, Sakura. Say good bye to your lover. But don't worry, you'll see him soon enough."

"No! Sakura!" Adrenaline pumping through his system, Syaoran pulled the chains clear off the wall. No one would do anything to Sakura. He ran to the witch, and tackled her away from his beloved. The spell was interrupted, Sakura's magic untouched.

"Sakura." Syaoran ran towards his girlfriend, taking her into his arms. 

"Syaoran." Sakura held him tight, afraid to let him go even for a second.

"How touching! But it wont help you. Instead, you'll pay!" Flames shot at the couple, burning their skin. They rolled out of the way, putting the flames out.

They stood up, still holding one another. "Element! Lightning!" Syaoran called, sending a bolt of powerful electricity at their attacker. It, however, dissolved as soon as it reached her. Still, Syaoran repeated the attack, with Sakura sending balls of powerful pink magic at the same time. It had no effect.

"You fools! No magic can touch me! Nothing can save you!" With another hand gesture, she send both magicians flying to opposite sides. Syaoran landed awkwardly, pain shooting through his leg. He looked up in time to see Arielle start the incantation to rob Sakura of her powers. 

Then, something inside him took control; power surged through him, as he had never experienced before. With a hand gesture of his own, he threw the unaware Arielle out of the way.

"What?!" the witch cried, regaining her balance and turning to face Syaoran. His eyes shone pure gold once again. He threw a sphere of dark green energy at her, which she countered with one of her own. The power resulting of the impact threw the opponents back a few feet.

_Now I get it…_ Arielle thought. _This is _so_ not good… or is it? Perhaps… I need to get out of here. Fast. Before he gets it… I have the Cards, the rest can wait._ "Well, kiddos, it's been fun, but I don't have time for this. You have not escaped me, you never will. You have only bought yourselves some time. We'll meet again… when you least expect it." With that, she twirled elegantly, and was gone. 

Syaoran fell to his knees; his adrenaline had run out, and he was magically drained. 

"Syaoran!" With difficulty, Sakura got up and ran towards her soul mate. She enveloped him in her arms, and held him close. He, however, pulled back a little, and cupped her face in his hands.

"I love you," he said, "never forget that." Then, he met her lips with his in a passionate embrace. Love rushed through the, as they held each other close. At last, they pulled apart, and Syaoran felt the poison unlock its bindings and invade his body. 

And he knew nothing more.

****To Be Continued****

So… did you like it?  Was it worth the wait? You know what happens next: Syaoran is rushed to the hospital, where he is an inch from death and… hehehe. Like I'd tell you!

Sorry if the fights sucked… I'm not very good at writing them.

The next chapter, the one you've all been waiting for will be up two weeks from today. That means, on Monday, November 11. No excuses. I promise it'll be ready (it's a fairly easy one to write.)

This story is far from over… 

Please, review! I would love it if the story could reach 60 reviews before my next update! (although, I'm not setting a limit… the more, the better!)

Bye! Thanks for reading (and reviewing)!

Kirjava-chan


	4. The Fates' Dilema

Ye-llow! Can you believe it? I'm actually on time! YAY!!!

Anyways, this chapter may be a little… scary, but please, read the whole thing! I'm actually quite proud of it!

Okay, not so much. This chapter ties Phase 1 of 'The Legacy' up! After this, I'm done with the info-packed chapters! Oh! I'm soooooooo excited! I've already started writing half the next chapters in my head! I'm filled with ideas! 

Unfortunately, I'm also filled with work… *sight* Also, I didn't get the 60 reviews I asked for! I'm sad… but not so much. I got 50 BEAUTIFUL reviews! Go me! 

He.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything you'd recognize. Including, of course, CCS. Clamp, Kodansha, and Nelvana (*shudder*) do. 

***End of Flashback***

or

***Back at the Hospital Where Syaoran Is ***

or

****The Chapter Everyone (Including Myself) Has Been Waiting For So We Can Get On With The Story***

            "And that's what happened." Eriol finished.  Both Touya and Fujitaka were shocked; the latter knew nothing about her daughter having magic or anything. And Touya… well, he was thinking about putting iron bars in the house windows, to prevent her baby sister from wandering into the brat's lair. But then he got a grip, and began properly fretting over the danger his sister had gone through and (believe it or not) over the gaki's well-being.

            Fujitaka was about to ask several questions, when the group's attention was diverted by a young doctor. "Syaoran Li?" she called, and the group rose.

            "Here." Eriol answered.

            "Please, follow me." And the nine followed her.

****Didn't Think The Scene Would Change So Fast? He he; Someplace Unknown To Mortals****

Now, the doctor might have no idea how Syaoran could have survived for so long, but somewhere else, someone did.

            Three someones, in fact. 

            "Okay, so what are we going to do?" A red-headed woman asked for the tenth time.

            "I don't know, Danielle!" A blue-haired woman said in response.

            "What do you mean, you don't know? For goodness' sake, Gabrielle, we can't just leave the boy in a coma forever!"

            "Of course we can't," the blonde one stated, "he'd eventually die. We can only keep him in limbo for so long."

            Perhaps an explanation would be a nice touch here. The three women were named Danielle, Gabrielle, and Murielle. They were standing in the darkness, a round a seeing pool (AN: those seem to be awfully popular...), dressed in Greek-style tunics of pure white silk. Danielle had red hair and red eyes, Gabrielle had blue hair and blue eyes, and Murielle had blonde hair and yellow eyes. The image in the pool was a close up of Syaoran's face, pale and battered as it was.

            "Which brings us back to the question at hand: should he die?" Danielle asked.

            "Don't you mean 'Should he live'?" Murielle corrected.

            "That is not for us to decide." Gabrielle sated.

            "How can you say that?" Danielle exclaimed "Of course it's up to us! It's our job, dammit!"

            "Calm down, sister." Gabrielle instructed "Remember, it is also out job to keep a balance in the forces. Too much power, of darkness or light, it doesn't matter which, can lead to destruction."

"But do we have a choice?" Murielle asked. "I mean, I know we are not supposed to mess with the happenings of Earth, but still…"

"I don't think we can let him die." Danielle said. "Arielle's intervention is something beyond Earth, something that directly involves us."

"No, it's not." Gabrielle corrected. "It has nothing to do with us! As far as I'm concerned, she's not one of us, she hasn't been one in millennia, she will never be one again."

"You're missing the point." Murielle told her. "You were the one who said all that stuff about the balance in the forces. If he dies, the balance would not only be tipped, it would be gone. Forever. He can't die. He's not supposed to die."

"But he's about to…" said Gabrielle, her eyes glazed over, a premonition going through her head.

"Oh, Kami, no." Murielle exclaimed. "How much time do we have?"

"Two and half minutes." Gabrielle answered.

"Okay, ladies, let's get to work!" Danielle yelled, clapping her hands. "First, reasons why he should live."

"Well," Murielle began "there's the Card Mistress, she can't be left alone, especially now that the Cards are gone."

"Then there's the Li Clan. He's the last leader they've got, and the magical world needs them to maintain order." Gabrielle continued.

"Not to forget, the whole Arielle thing. If she wins, then nothing else will matter, not the Card Mistress, not the Clan…" Murielle completed. "Xiao Lang is the only one who has a shot at beating her."

"Okay… reasons to let him die." Danielle said.

"We aren't supposed to mess with the system." Gabrielle answered decisively. "Kami knows what'll come out of it if we do."

"And we aren't even sure this could work." Murielle said. "For all  we know, he could become one of them."

"He won't." Danielle stated firmly. "He's too close to the Card Mistress."

"That doesn't make any difference." Gabrielle protested.

"Of course it does; the Card Mistress and Arielle are almost complete opposites." Murielle explained. 

"An your point is…?" Gabrielle inquired. "Look; the risk of him changing sides is too big. And if he does change, then we're all screwed!"

"As opposed to how we will be if he dies?" Danielle sarcastically responded. 

"Guys…" Murielle called. "Look. " She pointed at the image in the seeing pool. 

"What?" Danielle asked, peering into the water.

"It's too late." Muriel explained, her eyes big and sorrowful. "He's gone."

****Back at the Hospital…****

            "What do you mean, he's gone!?" Meiling exploded. "It can't be!" The doctor had taken all nine of them to a private waiting room. After making sure all of them were seating down, she had proceeded to tell them that "despite all efforts, young Mr. Li's condition was beyond their power" and that he had passed away some en minutes ago. She also said that she was sorry.

            At that moment, Sakura felt her heart break into a million tiny pieces. A cold wave passed through her body, and her breath stopped in her chest. Dead? How could that be? Syaoran wasn't supposed to die! Syaoran was strong and confident and nothing could have killed him—with a start, Sakura took notice of the past tense she had been using. _No…this can't be happening…not now…not like this…_ some part of her mind was aware of her surroundings; Tomoyo was crying recklessly, buried in Eriol's arms. His eyes looked oddly blurry, as if he was about to cry. Meiling was enraged and Keisuke was, along with the doctor, trying to hold her back. Nakuru was looking sorrowful, tears running down her cheeks, just like Yukito, who was being held by a rather shocked Touya. Sakura's Father was holding her, trying to offer comfort.

            But it didn't do an good. Sakura felt empty, alone, like if she was back in the void of her dream. Tears fell from her eyes, clouding her sight completely. She heard her Father ask the doctor if they could see Syaoran, and she stood up quickly from where she had been kneeling unknowingly. Without waiting for the doctor's answer, she ran  to where she remembered her beloved's room was, taking no heed of her friends' and family's calls. Something inside her had snapped; there was no way Syaoran was dead… therefore, he must be alive! That's it!

            Sakura quickly entered the room and locked the door behind her. Turning towards the bed, she saw Syaoran. He looked so peaceful, almost as if he were sleep, just like when Sakura had visited him, only two nights ago. Walking slowly towards the bed, she lay down beside Syaoran. He looked so pale! She put her head on his chest and realized that the comforting beating of his heart was gone. Still, she placed her arms around him, just like she always did, and sighted.

            "Syaoran," she whispered "wake up, sweetie." When Syaoran didn't respond, she gave him a peck on the lips, thinking of when they had performed in the 'Sleeping Beauty',  all those lifetimes ago. "It's time to wake up!"

            Outside the room, the doctor inserted her keys in the lock, and opened the door. When the group saw Sakura, lying besides Syaoran, they stopped moving, remaining at the door, not wanting to intrude, but scared at what she might do if left alone. Tomoyo saw her best friend, and her heart gave a painful jerk at what Sakura was doing. She way lying besides Syaoran, and they both looked exactly as they did every time Tomoyo found them together in the mornings. The sorceress was whispering to him, telling him that it was time to wake up, puzzling over why his eyes remained close, why his lips were so cold. Poor Sakura!

            Not being able to bear it any longer, she went to her friend. "Tomoyo!" she said. "Syaoran wont wake up!" Sakura's emerald eyes broke Tomoyo's heart, and she couldn't resist the urge to hug the confused girl.

            "Oh, Sakura!" she said. "I'm sorry. Kami, I wish… Sakura, Syaoran is… I can't even say it…"

            "What happened, Tomoyo? What is going on? Why are you crying?"

            "She must've gone into shock." Eriol suggested from the door. "We have to tell her what is going on."

            "Sakura, Syaoran… Syaoran passed away."

            "Wh-what?"

            "He died." 

            "No…" Sakura pulled away from Tomoyo's embrace, her face twice as sorrowful as only a few minutes ago, when she had first learned the fate of her boyfriend. "That can't be!" she sobbed. "We have gone through so much! He can't die!"

            "Sak-"

            "It's not fair! He doesn't deserve this! We don't deserve this!" tears flowed fiercely down her face. 

            "Sakura, listen to-" 

            "No! You listen to me! We did everything! We sealed the cards, passed the judgment, changed the cards, beat the wizards, destroyed the monsters… It's not fair…We earned our happily ever after! We earned it!" She lied back down on the bed, and held Syaoran once more, sobbing into his chest. "It's no fair… I love you… I love you… Please, love, wake up.. please…" Her voice trailed off, to be replaced by low hiccups and wailing. 

Tomoyo placed her hand on Sakura's shoulder, and Eriol motioned for the doctor to leave. She did, along with Touya, Nakuru, Yukito and Fujitaka, who had several papers to fill out. He also had to contact the Li Clan.

            Their only heir was dead.

****Back With The Three Sisters Who Aren't Named Piper, Phoebe, and Prue/Paige***

            "Kami, now we've done it!" Danielle exclaimed. "He's dead! There's no hope left now! …or is there?" she added slowly.

            "What are you talking about? He's dead! That's it! Game over!" Murielle exclaimed.

            "No… There is still something we can do." Danielle said.

            "What are you—Oh…" Murielle trailed off in understanding.

            "Oh? I don't like that 'oh'. What—" Gabrielle s6topped talking suddenly, as realization made its way into her mind. "No! No way! Uh-uh!"

            "Gabrielle!" Danielle whined. "Why no? It's perfect! And we had already agreed that he could live!"

            "Yes, we had." Gabrielle replied "Healing him is one thing, but bringing him back to life… There is no freaking way we're doing that!"

            "Oh, c'mon!" Danielle pleaded "We have to! There's no choice!"

            "Of course there's a choice!" Gabrielle answered. "there is always a choice! Always!"

            "Yes, there is." Danielle told her in fake calmness. "But the choice in THIS matter is civilization being wiped out of the face of the Earth, along with millions of people! What is doing a little wrong, in the face of preventing a gigantic one?"

            Gabrielle sighted. "I know." She said slowly and sadly. "But we just can't do it. You know that. We risk bringing a dark one back. We just can't revive him."

            Then Murielle, who had been quiet for the past discussion, just thinking, spoke. "Maybe we can't…" she admitted "But there are several people down there who both _can_ and _will_. Think about it!" she urged Gabrielle before she could interrupt. "Focus for a minute. Can't you feel them? His life force, his soul, his aura, his ghost… none of them have left yet. They're still hovering around! If the mortals tried, and if we taught them how, they could bring Xiao Lang back, no problem at all."

            "You're right, they could…"Gabriele was interrupted by Danielle.

            "Yes!" the red-head exclaimed. "Now, let's go!

            "But you're wrong, Murielle." Gabrielle continued, ignoring Danielle, "His ghost isn't down there…" she trailed off, trying to figure out where the ghost was. "he's… right here."

            "Where am I?"

****Another Dramatic Pause… You Know What To Do… Count Until Ten… Now Continue To Read****

            The three sisters turned around, facing the complete darkness that was the area around the pool. Only it wasn't so dark anymore; a ghostly being was standing there, surrounded by a faint glow. The color of his body and clothing was oddly dulled, as if he was being looked at through a fogged window. Still, one could appreciate the brilliance of his amber eyes, which stood out from the rest of his opaque appearance. A puzzled frown upon his face, he walked towards the three sisters.

            "Who are you?"

            "We are the Fates." Gabrielle answered, standing tall and proud, her sisters at each side of her, all three dripping with power, looking as imposing as they were supposed to be. "Welcome to Limbo, Li Xiao Lang."

            "Limbo? What am I doing here?" Suddenly, he realized what was happening. "Am I dead?"

            "Yes, you are." Murielle told her in he same authoritarian voice her sister had used.

            "What happened?" Syaoran asked. Then his memory came back. "It was Arielle, wasn't it? Or not… it was the poison! I remember now… Oh, Kami! Is Sakura okay? And Tomoyo, Eriol, Meiling, Keisuke? They're okay?"

            "Why don't you see for yourself." Danielle suggested, and the three deities stepped to the sides, leaving the path towards the pool visible. Syaoran walked the length of it, and peered into the images. The Fates Peered beside him.

            He was looking into a hospital room. Inside, he could see Tomoyo weeping in Eriol's arms. He seemed to be shedding a few tear himself, Syaoran noticed astonished. At the foot of the bed stood Keisuke, his arms around Meiling's shoulders. Both were crying. And on the bed lay Sakura, crying freely, her arms around his dead body. She seemed to be talking to him in between sobs.

            It was only then, when Syaoran saw his own body that it dawned on him that he was dead. This was it. _ No! This can't be it! I am not dying! Even if it's the last thing I do, I'm getting back in there!_ he thought.

            "We were hoping you would say that." Gabrielle told him with a slight smile. "Yes, we can hear your thoughts."

            "So… You want to go back?" Murielle said, leaving her sisters and circling Syaoran.  "Well, you know, that's normally out of the question. But you…"

            "What?"

            "Let's just say that, for the fifteen thousand years we've been in charge, you're the first mortal to ever come here." Danielle said with a smile. "That certainly makes you _very_ special." She joined her sister, moving slowly around Syaoran.

            "So, what do you say? Want to give life another shot?" Without waiting for an answer, she walked to where Syaoran was, and the three sisters joined hand on top of his head. A flash of light ensued.

****Tun-tun-tun (aw, c'mon, you know that one!) Back at Misery, Inc.****

            "I just can't believe he's gone!" Tomoyo held Sakura closer. They were sitting at the edge of the bed. Sakura was holding Syaoran's stiff, cold hand in her own.

            "He's not gone," Tomoyo told her in a soothing voice. "He'll always be right here…" she trailed off, for in that second, and gust of raging wind had suddenly swept the room. There was a bright light, and three Greek-looking woman appeared.

            Major freaking out ensued. 

            "Behold, o mortals, for we are the Fates, judges of destiny!" Gabrielle said in a very stately voice. "We hav—"

            "Clow? Is that you?" Danielle interrupted.

            "Oh, no, Ms. Fate." Eriol answered her naturally, for that is the sort of thing Eriol does. "I'm Eriol Hiragizawa, his reincarnation."

            "Oh," said Danielle "I should have noticed. You do look a lot like him, though."

            "Why, thank you! People-"

            "Ahem,"  Gabrielle interrupted them. "I'm trying to discuss a life or death situation here? Literally?"

            "Oh, right, sorry." Danielle apologized.

            "That's okay, darling. Now, where was I?"

            "You had just finish the whole 'behold' thing." Murielle told her.

            "Right. Why don't we just skip introductions and go right to the point?." Danielle and Murielle nodded. "Good. Here's the deal: we are going to help you bring Li Xiao Lang back to life. Bu-"

            "You are?" Sakura asked excitedly "Oh, thank you! Thank you so much, ...er…"

            "Gabrielle."

            "Danielle.

"Murielle." 

"Anyways, as we were saying…" Murielle continued. "We want to bring young Li back. We do not believe it was his time to die. But we, the Fates, can't, because if we mess with the program, bad things are guaranteed to happen"

"But no one ever said that you can't bring him back." Danielle said.

"However, the knowledge of how to move between life and death has always been denied to mortals." Gabrielle told them "Why? Well, let's just say humans aren't the first beings you should trust."

"No offense." Danielle clarified.

"Yet, we feel we can trust you not using the following spell. Can we? Good." Danielle turned to look at her sisters. "Shall we begin?"

"Yes." Answered Murielle. "But remember, we can do absolutely nothing, except give you instructions. The rest is up to you."

" Let us begin." Said Gabrielle "First of all, we need the ghost. Oh, Xiao Lang!"

"Syaoran?" asked Keisuke. "Wolf boy's here?"

"I'm ready!" called the disembodied voice of Li Syaoran. The mortal occupants of the room looked around, trying to locate the source of the voice, but to no avail.

"Xiao Lang's not here. He cannot enter the mortal plain until his body is ready for him. If he does, then he would be truly dead, and bringing him back wouldn't be wise." Gabrielle said. "Right now, he's waiting in Limbo."

"Next, we need three magic-users: one with Sun magic, one with Moon magic, and one with Star magic." Murielle instructed. "Any volunteers?"

            "Well, I have Star magic." Sakura said.

            "I have Sun magic." Sated Eriol. "And Keisuke has Moon magic, don't you, Keisuke?"

            "Yep."

            "Good, this makes things a lot quicker." Murielle said. "Now, we need some candles."

            "Allow me." With a flick of Eriol's hand, a dozen white candles appeared.

            "Great! Now, arrange them into three circles, each one big enough for one of you to stand in." Danielle said. 

            "You know, things might be a lot easier if you vanish all the furniture in this room. You'll need quite some space for the spell." Gabrielle suggested.

            Sakura waved a hand, and everything disappeared, leaving Syaoran's body softly on the ground. "Done."

            "Now, place Xiao Lang's body in the middle of the room, with the groups of candles surrounding him." Gabrielle continued. "Everyone, stand inside one of the circles, and light the candles. Meiling, Tomoyo, if you'd be so kind as to stand to the side. Your auras might interfere with the call. Oh, and please turn off the lights." All of their instructions were performed quickly and silently.

            "Now we're ready to begin the casting!" Murielle proclaimed. "Listen very carefully. Keisuke, I want you to concentrate on Xiao Lang's ghost. It will be your job to call it back to the body, bring it to this place, send your own aura in search of Xiao Lang's ghost." She turned to Eriol. "It will be your task to call his life force. Summon it back to the body with your own. It wants to be found, it is your job to guide it to this place."

            "And your task, Card Mistress," Gabrielle told Sakura. "is to bring his soul back. It should not be too difficult, as your soul already calls for his. The trick for you will be to guide it into the body, instead of into your own."

            "Now, focus on what we've just told you. Close your eyes, and put your arms in front of you. We only have one shot, so don't loose concentration." Danielle instructed. "I want you to project your magic into the atmosphere, while calling for Xiao Lang's soul, life force, or ghost with your mind. Send your unconscious to search for them. Once you've found them, hold unto them, and direct your magic to Xiao Lang's body."

            "Got it?" The three sorcerers nodded. "Good, now, repeat after me." Murielle instructed.

_Magic of the Moon, the Sun, the Stars,_

_Power of Darkness, Power of Light,_

_Bring this Mortal back to life!_

            Sakura, Eriol, and Keisuke closed their eyes and did as they were told, ignorant to the reaction the spell was getting. They needed every ounce of concentration they had for this task.

_Magic of the Moon, the Sun, the Stars,_

            But Tomoyo could see what was going on. She could see the gusts of wind forming at the feet of her friends and around Syaoran's body. 

_Power of Darkness, Power of Light,_

            She could hear their voices, growing deeper and merging with one another, the wind whispering parts of their mantra at different times.

            _Bring this Mortal back to life!_

            The candles went out, but a mysterious, golden glow still surrounded the magicians. Now, what seemed to be bolts of lightning filled the room.

_Magic of the Moon, the Sun, the Stars,_

            A cloud of green appeared out of nowhere, and sort of _vanished_ around Syaoran's body. A sparkly, crystal mass followed. Syaoran's body shook and trembled with each addition. 

_Power of Darkness, Power of Light,_

            Then, Syaoran's ghost appeared, his eyes closed, and kind of drifted into the body, which rose in the air. It remained floating in midair, and Tomoyo could see the injuries on his face and arms being healed. She supposed the internal injuries were healing, too.

_Bring this Mortal back to life!_

            The golden light concentrated on Syaoran, surrounding him until Tomoyo could no longer see him. A moment later, there was an explosion of light, and Syaoran's body appeared, floating up-right, eyes still closed. Syaoran landed softly on the floor and remained standing up.

            The glow, the lightning, the whispers, the chanting… they all ended at once. Eriol, Keisuke and Sakura put their arms down and opened their eyes. For a heartbeat, no one did anything. Then, Syaoran opened his eyes. Amber orbs looked around the room, and the occupants of it could hear his breathing.

            That was all it took; delighted, Sakura ran to him and held him tight. Syaoran put his arms around Sakura, and hugged her equally close. Then Meiling and Tomoyo joined in, as did Keisuke and Eriol (!), until it was one gigantic group hug. Everyone seemed to be crying tears of joy, until they stumbled and fell unceremoniously to the floor. 

            After that, the hysterical reaction took place. All six teenagers were laughing, their tears now of mirth, trying hard to catch their breath. After so much sadness, laugher was a relief. The Fates watched amused from the side of the room, until they felt the upcoming arrival of more people.

            "Well," Danielle said "that's our cue. It has been a pleasure."

"Thank you so much!" Sakura exclaimed.

 "How can I ever thank you?" Syaoran asked them sincerely. 

            "I believe you will, without knowing." Murielle winked at him.

            "Huh?"            

            "Remember, children, you have the blessing of the Fates." Gabrielle reminded them. "There is much to come, but we are confident that you shall overcome the difficulties ahead."

            "We are?" Murielle asked her sister quietly, so the others wouldn't hear.

            "Yes," Gabrielle answered. "We are. Or at least, I think so. Anyways, a little confidence boost never hurt anyone."

            "Goodbye! May you attain the 'happily ever after' you wished for!" With that last statement, Danielle, Murielle and Gabrielle, turned around and vanished. As they did, all the equipment and furniture in the hospital room reappeared.

            "What the hell s going on in here?!" The door opened, and a very angry doctor entered, followed by Fujitaka, Touya, Yukito, and Nakuru. "Why are you doing so much—" Her words caught in her throat when she laid eyes at the tangle of arms and legs that were the six teenagers on the floor. But weren't they supposed to be only five? Then, she noticed the absence of the body in the bed. There he was! Her patient, alive, breathing, and laughing in the floor!

            "Bloody hell!"

**** Later That Night… Or Should We Call It 'Extremely Early The Next Day' (I'm Thinking 4 AM) At Syaoran's Apartment****

            It had taken quiet some time to calm the poor doctor, along with the hospital staff, down. Thankfully, Eriol was one who enjoyed messing with people's minds and had no problem with wiping a large part of their memories blank.

            Besides, they should remember their names anytime soon.

            It had taken an even longer amount of time to explain how Syaoran had come back to life to Touya, Nakuru, Yukito and Fujitaka, mainly because everyone had something to add to the story, and this only made it ore confusing. Surprisingly enough, it had not taken long to convince both Touya and Fujitaka to allow Sakura to stay with Syaoran for the whole next week or so. Eriol and Tomoyo decided to join them, so know everyone was staying at Syaoran's for a week or so. Thankfully, he did have enough rooms for all of them.

            Currently, they were all sleeping, having decided that after 2 days of being awake, talking about the incident could wait until the next the day. Or maybe the after that. 

            While Syaoran had enough rooms for Sakura to sleep alone, they had both decided that there was no way in hell they wouldn't be together for the next couple of centuries or so. So, Sakura and Syaoran were both staying in his room.

            Despite the exhaustion the felt, they couldn't sleep. There was just too much to be said. 

            "I can't believe I almost lost you." Syaoran told Sakura softly.

            "You? What about me? It was you who died!" Sakura said. "I swear, it was the most awful feeling in the world! Like someone had ripped my heart out and tap danced all over it." Tears began to drop from her eyes. "I couldn't bear it. I just wanted everything to end."

            Syaoran held her closer. "It's okay, sweetheart, it's okay." He planted a kiss on  her cheek. "I'm here now. You'll never be alone again."

            "Promise?"

            "Promise." They kissed, a soft, sweet, lingering one.

            "It was awful for me too," Syaoran said. "The thought of never being with you again… it hurts just to think about it. And then, I kept thinking how it would feel to be watching over you, and see as you fall for someone else. It was horrible."

            "Oh, sweetie!" Sakura kissed Syaoran's forehead. " I couldn't ever love anyone as much as I love you. It is simply not possible! I love you and no one else. And that's for eternity."

            "Promise?"

            "Promise."

"Sakura?"

"Yes?"

"I'm sorry you had to go through all that. I really am."

            "It was not your fault." She said. "Let's not talk about it anymore. I don't want to remember."

            "Whatever you say, love."

            "Thank you, sweetie." Sakura sighted. "Syaoran?"

            "Yes, sweetheart?"

            "Will we ever live happily ever after?"

            "Aren't we already?" Syaoran asked. "I mean, I'm happy right now; I've got you, that's all I need."

            "You're right. You, too, are all I need to be happy."

            "Good. Now you better get some sleep."

            "Syaoran?"

            "Yes?"

            "I love you."

            "I love you too." Syaoran leaned towards her face, and captured her lips in a soft kiss, which she deepened into a passionate embrace. Kiss after kiss followed, until…

            "Ahem." A feminine voice heard clearing her throat. "Think you could stop for a second?" Startled, Syaoran and Sakura broke apart and sat up in the bed. Standing at the foot of the bed was a woman.

            "Who are you?" Syaoran asked. "And what are you doing in my room at 4 AM?" Before the woman could answer, Sakura yelled amazed.

            "It's you! You are one of the women from my dream!"

***To Be Continued****

            So… like it? Not much action, kind of long… I know. But the whole point of this chapter was bringing Syaoran back and give a tiny introduction to what Syaoran's true powers and destiny are.

            Please, please review! Reviews make me wok harder!

            Oh, the next update will be on November 25! (That's two weeks from today, on a Monday.)

            Vi-olet!

            Kirjava-chan


	5. A Rather Obnioux Messenger

Ye-llow! How are you all? Well, once again, your reviews have inspired me to meet the dead line. Yay! I love all you reviews, and thank you immensely for them.

Now, please pay attention to this chapter, because this is where the case of the plot will be revealed, as well as part of Syaoran's powers. 

For those of you who are waiting for an update on 'Stuck in a Moment', I'm hoping the next chapter is up for Monday.

Disclaimer: I only own what's mine. (I know, lame, but that's life.)

****Syaoran's Apartment, Still At Four AM****

"Now, who are you?" Eriol asked calmly and patiently. Well, as patiently as one can expect from someone who has had but three whole minutes of sleep for the past 2 days. Not to forget, he was magically drained after their little life spell. After Sakura's not-so-quiet realization, Eriol and Tomoyo had woken up (Meiling and Keisuke were oblivious to the commotion, still sleeping) and hurried to Syaoran's room, where they found Sakura and Syaoran gaping at a somewhat… peculiar character. She had black hair and eyes that would be called gray, were she human. But since she was not, it didn't sound too odd to accurately describe them as silver-colored.  Her features weren't beautiful, nor particularly attractive, but her face was pleasant to look at. All in all, she seemed a quite decent, pretty 'person'.

Until she opened her mouth, that is.

            "That is for me to know, and for you to find out." The apparition's answer was me by four glares. "Okay, okay. I get the point. Gee, no sense of humor whatsoever." She paused to compose herself. "I'm a messenger." She seemed oddly familiar to Syaoran, and silence enveloped the room as he tried to figure out where he had seen her before, while the other three mortal occupants of the room waited for a follow up. None came.

            "And…?" Tomoyo trailed off.

            "And what? Oh! You're referring to what am I? Well, you should've said so from the beginning!" she exclaimed. "I… can't tell you."

            "What?" exclaimed Syaoran. "What do you mean 'you can't tell us'?"

            "Exactly that: I can't tell you. Kami, grumpy AND slow; a nice combination."

            "Can you tell us why you appeared in my dream?" Sakura asked.

            "No."

            "Can you tell us who were the other persons were?" Sakura inquired.

            "Nope." 

"What can you tell us, then?" asked Sakura, the ever-patient, again.

            "I'm a messenger."

            "And you came here, at four in the morning, for the sole purpose of annoying us?" Eriol asked, his voice heavy with sarcasm.

            "No, I didn't; that's just an added bonus." Syaoran was still pondering over where he had seen her before. Suddenly it came to him: in Arielle's lair! She resembled the witch greatly, but lacked the extravagant beauty of Arielle... yet, she resulted familiar all the same. Could this messenger be in league with Arielle? Syaoran didn't even waste time in pondering over it; he immediately summoned his sword from his pendant, and took a fighting stance, startling Eriol, Tomoyo, and Sakura.

            "Okay, that's it. What do you want?" He demanded. Sensing the threat in his voice, Eriol decided to join in, calling on his Sun baton.

            "Hey, what's with all the aggression all of a sudden?"

            "Don't play dumb; you know Arielle." Syaoran wasn't sure how he knew this, but he was sure of it.

            "You remembered. Good." Syaoran knew not what she meant by that. The grin in the goddess's face diminished significantly. "Now we can get on with the show." She sat, floating in midair in a most perturbing way. Seeing neither young man made any motion as to put their weapons down, she said, "You can drop the weapons now. I mean no harm. Honest!" Syaoran and Eriol weren't convinced by this 'persuasive' speech. "Okay, keep them. Just do me a favor: sit down and hear me out." Her tone was no longer sarcastic, and she sounded honest enough, so Syaoran and Eriol, along with Sakura and Tomoyo, complied. 

            "I'm a goddess—"she was interrupted by Eriol.

            "No! Really? I never would have known!"

            "Shut up and listen, Wonder Boy. I'm who you mortals refer to as 'Lady Luck'. Only, I don't bring luck, neither good nor bad. Why? Well, because luck doesn't exist. In fact, the whole concept is ridiculous. Humans make their own fortune; there is no outside element involved. Now, synchronicity, that's another thing. Coincidences, that too. That's what I am in charge of: mapping out the lives of mortals."

            At this point, Syaoran interrupted her. "So we're just being shuffled around by you goddesses? Are you telling me that I don't really have a choice concerning my life, that it's all planned beforehand?"

            "No, that's not what I said. Of course your decisions affect the outcome; what fun would life be if everything was already set? No, what I do is present opportunities. Let me put it this way: When you arrive here, we—all the bunch up there in Limbo---  already know what your potential is. So, we have to figure out what would be the best way for you to use it. That's when I come in; I make sure that the right opportunities are presented to you, so that you can reach your full potential. Whether or not you take those chances is up to you. So, in the end, everything you have and do is up to you.

            "For example, all those actors that were discovered in bars and stuff. My job was to make sure that the director and the actor were in the bar at the same time, but it was the actor who ultimately decided to speak to the director, to convince him to give him a job."

            "I don't get it." Tomoyo said. "If that's your job, and humans aren't controlled like puppets, then what's the job of the Fates?"

            "They deal with the few humans whose potential is too great to be left to chance. You guys for instance; do you really think your fate would be left up to me, when I have to deal with the life of the other 6 billion people on the planet? It's with people like you that the Fates occupy themselves. You're not too many, 30 per generation, at the most. That's why the Fates came to you when you died, Xiao Lang. You're somewhat of a priority up there."

            "What I don't understand is," Sakura said, "why are you here then, if Syaoran is the Fates' concern? Not that we aren't happy you're here." she quickly added, not wanting to hurt Lirael's feelings. "I was just wondering."

            "Well, that's what I was going to explain. I came here to explain to you what is going on, who is Arielle, how to get the Cards back, who are you actually, Li Xiao Lang. As the last of the Three, it is my duty to make sure you're ready."

            "Last of the Three?" Syaoran repeated, confused. She pretended no to hear him, and kept talking.

            "Now, I can only tell a part of the story. Why? Well, in part because it is not for mortal ears, and mostly because I don't know all of it. Besides, I could never tell the end of a story that hasn't been finished. But I can tell you this. 

            "In the beginning, there were but three goddesses, meant to keep the balance in the forces. There was Sabriel, who wielded white magic. She was pure, light, a giver of life and hope, yet naive and quick to trust others, always looking for the good side in everyone. And there was Arielle, wielder of black magic, clever and witty, the most beautiful of the three, confident and persuasive. Oh, she wasn't evil. She might not have been as pure as her sister, but her nature was good. It only happened that she used the powers of the darkness. Then there was Lirael. She had a little magic, white one, and what humans have come to call telekinetic power. Yet, she held great wisdom, and looked over mortals and goddesses alike. The three of them existed in peace, their powers being only that, powers, not defining their natures. Besides maintaining balance in the forces, the duty of the Fates was also theirs.

            "Now, if you are to understand this tale, you must know one thing: in humans, there is no good and evil. Every human is born good; it is his or her intentions that can be good or bad. So naturally, every single human that was born with magic had white magic.  Occasionally, one of them would perform deeds so evil, his or her nature would change, shifting his magic from white to black. But these beings were minimal.

            "Eventually, the power of light grew so enormous, that the delicate structure of the universe was in danger of collapsing. It was then that Arielle's power began to increase, until her powers alone equaled all the power in the side of the light. Thus, balance was brought to the universe once again, and everything was harmony. But only for a while.

            "Have you ever heard about how absolute power corrupts everything? Well, that applies to dark powers, as the three of them soon found out. All the darkness inside of Arielle soon took hold of her spirit, poisoned her soul and her nature shifted: she was no longer good, but evil. It wasn't her fault, really, but in the end, it didn't matter whether she was evil because she chose to or because she didn't have a choice.

            "Immediately, she began seeking  more and more power, trying to satisfy her thirst for it. Wise as they were, the other two didn't see this until it was far too late. A great battle took place, Sabriel and Lirael against Arielle. The two good sisters didn't stand a chance, and they knew it, but they fought bravely all the same. The fight went one for thirteen days and nights, until the three of them dropped unconscious from the lack of energy and as a result from a particularly potent explosion. Lirael was the first to wake up, and seeing her other two sisters still asleep, she devised a plan. She created a sphere, from a material known only to her, and trapped her sisters' magic in them.

            "Now, you may be wondering how is this possible. Well, goddesses exist, but they aren't technically alive. As a result, they don't have a life force; their magic exist inside of them as only that, it does not come from a life force. But anyway, Lirael trapped the magic of her sisters in the sphere. Inside the orb, the magic reacted to each other, innately  reaching a balance between darkness and light. Lirael proceeded to hide the sphere.

            "When Sabriel awoke, she found that there was but a drop of magic left inside of her. Sabriel took the news hard, but joined her sister in hoping that when she woke up, Arielle would be back to her normal self. When she woke up, Arielle was enraged. The change in her nature was permanent; if it had once been fueled by the power of darkness that resided in her, it now took its force from the hatred that she now felt for her sisters. Summoning the little magic she had left, Arielle cast a curse upon the other two; a curse to which no one, not even herself, knew the consequences to, so terrible it was. 

            "Right then and there she left Limbo, and traveled far away. Sabriel left too, in the direction opposite her sister had gone, blaming Lirael for the whole ordeal. And Lirael was left alone. She, too, was mad at her sisters, but someone had to make sure the world didn't turn into complete chaos. The balance in the forces had already been taken care of, thanks to the sphere, but she still needed someone to watch over mortals. So she took what little magic she had and created three beings: the Fates. Afterwards, she also left, to someplace unknown. 

            "Now, why am I telling you this? Ever since the incident, Arielle has been collecting light magic, absorbing and converting it into dark magic. Or so we thought. It wasn't until a few decades ago, that we realized her true intentions: she's been collecting light magic for several millennia. We do not know what she wants it for, but we suspect she's going to try and break the seal that holds her powers inside the sphere. 

            "But we can't do anything to stop her, even if we managed to gather enough goddesses to rival the power she now commands. Why? For the same reason Sabriel ad Lirael were doomed to fail all those millennia ago: because she has dark magic, and we have light magic. Because it is life's nature to create, and death's to destroy. Light magic can stop dark magic, it can even contain it for awhile. But it cannot destroy, never destroy it. And Arielle has to be destroyed this time, for this is the last encounter. If she wins, then that'll be it. All conscious life will be either deleted or enslaved, civilization wiped out of existence as if it had never been. A fate worse than death: oblivion. 

            "And that's where you come in, Li Xiao Lang."

****Dramatic Pause Yadda, Yadda, Yadda…****

            "You are really something, a true wonder. We still can't figure out how it happened, our why it did. But I'm probably driving you crazy with all this foreshadowing, am I not? Well, here's the deal: you have dark magic."

            "What?!" Syaoran exclaimed, shocked.

            "My cute descendant is evil?" Eriol asked, astonished. "I'm so proud of him!" he couldn't help adding. His little joke went unnoticed by the deity, however.

            "He's not evil, per say." She answered. "Not yet, anyway."

            "What do you mean 'not yet'?" Syaoran asked, but Lady Luck pretended not to hear him.

            "Ever since you were born, your magic has been dark. No one ever noticed, though, because of your ability to control the elements. Since controlling forces of nature is something both dark and light magicians can do, no one ever suspected it. But if one really focuses on your aura, one can feel it. It's a really strange sensation, a sort of signature I cannot describe. The nature of your magic is the reason why you never had a shot at getting the Clow Cards, why you have never been able to create matter like Clow and the Card Mistress. Yours is a different sort of power, one which can attack, one that can destroy and re-build, one that can even control others' minds.

            "That is why you're so important. You alone have the power to beat Arielle, to destroy her. You are the only one who has both the ability and the power. You're the only one who has a chance. Only dark magic can destroy dark magic; yet only good can destroy evil. So I came to ask you, Li Xiao Lang: will you take advantage of this ability? Will you try and annihilate Arielle?

            "It's going to be difficult, and dangerous. Much more dangerous than anything you've ever done before. Not only is your life, along with that of millions, on stake. It is your very soul that will be put in jeopardy. But are you prepared to risk it?"

            Syaoran didn't have to think twice about it. Nor did he need to feel Sakura's hand take his own (although, it was certainly comforting) "Yes." He answered at once.

            "Good. Very good." The deity smiled, a true smile, with no trace of mirth or sarcasm. "Now, the specifics. According to what the Fates have told me, Arielle has now enough power to break the seal, thanks to the energy she got from the Sakura Cards—"

            "What?!" Eriol interrupted. "What happened to the Cards?"

            "Err… well," Sakura said uncomfortably. "Arielle kind of… absorbed them. I'm really, really sorry. I tried to stop her, but I just couldn't."

            "I 'm sure you did, Sakura." Eriol said. "But pray tell, why hadn't you mentioned this before?"

            "I had other things in my mind." Sakura answered simply, giving Syaoran's hand a light squeeze. "Earlier, you said you could teach me how to bring the Cards back. Can you,…er…?"

            "Call me Lorelei, if you must."

            "Lorelei." Sakura tried the name. "Can you tell me how to bring the cards back?"

            "Yes, I can. But you really don't need my help. You just need to re-create them, as Clow did all those years ago. It will be very power-consuming. But for some one with your magical reservoirs, it will be a breeze. And I'm sure Clow Junior will be thrilled to assist you. But as I was saying, Arielle has enough energy to break the seal. She won't do it now, however. She'll wait for the full moon; its only then that the seal is accessible. You see, the seal is in another dimension.  I can't tell you where, for I don't know. One of you can, though… I think."

            "And what should we do?" Tomoyo wanted to know.

            "We?" Syaoran repeated, confused.

             "Yes, sill." Sakura said. "We."

            "You didn't think we would let you go and keep al the fun to yourself, did you, my cute descendant?" 

            "Thank you, guys." Syaoran said. "And don't call me that!"

            "How touching." Lorelei said sarcastically. "But what you do," Lorelei said in a sing-song voice. "is up to you."

**** Still In Syaoran's Room**** 

            Twelve hours later, Syaoran lay in his bed, staring at the ceiling. Lady Luck was long gone and the apartment was in peace once again. The four exhausted teenagers had fallen asleep without remembering, though Syaoran suspected their visitor might have cast a spell or two, and then just transported them to their respective beds as soon as she was done talking. All in all, Syaoran was grateful; there was no way he would have had fallen asleep, despite how tired he was, after hearing what she had said. He had awoken not five minutes ago, and he suspected his friends were going to remain asleep for a few more hours.

            Syaoran's mind wandered back to what the goddess had told him. He was unique, a true wonder, she had said. He had been born with dark magic, instead of white one, but he wasn't evil. That gave him an advantage over Arielle. Or so it seemed, because hatred tends to cloud one's senses and judgment, making them more prone to errors. 

            But he was nervous all the same. Also shocked. It was a bit… unsettling to learn that he had never had a shot at getting the Clow Cards. True, he didn't envy or resented Sakura for getting them, but it was disappointing to know that, no matter what he could have done, he would've still failed. But he didn't linger in that much. The past was one thing, and Syaoran was careful in trying not to let it cloud the present.

            A new question occupied his mind: what was he going to do about Arielle? He had given Lorelei his word that he would try and beat her, and he wasn't planning on backing down any time soon. He had to find a way to beat her… to beat her to the sphere! That was it! He had to reach the orb before her; then he could stop her before she had a chance of becoming all-powerful.

            But that still left a small problem: where the heck was the orb hidden? Lorelei had said that one of them knew where to find it. Well, it wasn't him obviously. Tomoyo? No, he didn't think so. She didn't have any magic. Eriol? Could be, but not likely. If he knew, he would've said something then. Sakura? No, she… wait. What had that dream been about? Darkness, a temple, glowing eyes… and a floating globe! That was it! Sakura's dreams were the key to finding the sphere. With a dash of luck—well, not luck, but… whatever. Hopefully, she would see enough in her premonitions to lead him to the orb. Full moon was another two weeks away, give or take a few days. He would  be able to take the time to find out exactly what having dark powers meant, and how to use them. What good was a weapon if he ignored its use? 

            Syaoran yawned, as sleep began to claim him again. Boy, dying could be really tiring! Letting his worries and plans slide to the back of his mind, Syaoran closed his eyes, and slept again.

****A Whole Day And a Half Later****

            "Why didn't you wake me up?!" screeched the voice of one angry Meiling, reaching every room in the apartment and penetrating Syaoran's sleep-blurred brain. 

            "Shhh! Don't yell, Meiling! Syaoran is still sleeping, and I don't want him to wake up yet."

            "Kawaii! Sakura-chan wants Syaoran-kun to rest!" 

            "Cam-girl, you are one peculiar person."

            "Thanks. I try."

            "But as I was saying… Why didn't you guys wake us up?"

            "Yes, I mean, it's not like visit from a deity is an everyday thing…"

            "Well, why didn't you wake up? Sakura made enough racket to wake the whole building up, for goodness sake!"

            "Eriol!"

            "Sorry, Sakura. But it's true!"

            It was then that Syaoran reached the kitchen, dressed only in the long, boxer-like pants he slept in. He walked slowly to the stove, pouring himself a big cup of coffee. He then dragged himself to the table, and sat down, looking dead tired. "Good morning." He grumbled.

            "Good morning, sweetie! How was your sleep?" greeted Sakura, as she gave him a kiss.

            "Kawaii!"

            "Not long enough." he muttered  back.

            "Not long enough, Wolf boy says!" Keisuke exclaimed, walking towards Syaoran and putting a hand on his shoulder. "My dear friend, you slept for around two days!"

            "Two days?" Syaoran asked distractedly, taking a big sip of coffee. "Felt more like two minutes."

            "Okay, now I'm worried." Sakura said. "What's wrong, honey?"

            "Kawaii!" Tomoyo chirped happily, taking out her camcorder and pressing it to Sakura's face.

            "Okay, who let her take caffeine?" Meiling asked.

            "It's nothing." Syaoran answered Sakura. "I'm just tired. Don't worry." He drank the rest of his coffee, then stood up. "Say, what time is it?" 

            "Around nine AM." Eriol answered. "Why?"

            "I'm off to train. I'll se you guys later." He left the kitchen, and Eriol spoke as soon as he did.

            "I wonder what's wrong with him."

            "You heard the man: he's tired." Meiling answered.

            Out of the blue, Sakura asked, "Did anyone else notice his eyes?"

            "Yes." Keisuke answered. "They were still there." 

            "Grow up, will you?" Meiling chided.

            "They seemed different. I don't know why." Sakura ignored the other two.

            "Now that you mention it…" Eriol answered. "No, I didn't."

            "Perhaps you're just imagining things, Sakura-chan." Tomoyo  told her.

            "Yes, you're probably right." Sakura stood up, walking towards the door.

            "Where are you going?" Meiling asked.

            "To watch Syaoran train." She answered, leaving the kitchen. Watching Syaoran train was one of her favorite activities. She loved the clear precision of his movements, the swiftness of it all. Quietly, she opened the door to the training room and tiptoed in. She sat down, her back against the wall. Already, she could see a thin film of perspiration covering his body, as he continued the series of defense and attack movements. He hadn't even taken time to change out of his pajamas. Sakura had to say, she had one hot boyfriend.

            She sat there for the good part of an hour, just watching and thinking. And as she did, and idea came to her mind. She pondered over it, and the more she did, the more she liked it. Finally, she decided to talk to Syaoran about it.

            It was around that same time that Syaoran finished training. Reaching for a towel, he wasn't very surprised to see Sakura waiting for him.

            "Feeling better?" she asked.

            "Much." And it was true. Syaoran couldn't exactly tell what it was, but there was something very exhilarating about training. Already, he felt more rested. 

            "Good. So, what are we going to do today?"

            "I'm not sure. Why?"

            "Well, I was thinking it would be a good idea to discuss this whole thing, see what we'll do."

            "You're right. Perhaps we should get started on the whole Card business, don't you think?"

            "Sure."

            "But I think I'll go get a shower first. I feel like I haven't taken a bath in over four days."

            "You haven't." Sakura laughed.

            "Right. See you later." He kissed her before jogging of to his room.

            "What was that for?" she called after him.

            "Nothing!" he yelled back.

****To Be Continued.****

There it is: the first chapter of Phase 2 of 'The Legacy'. I know it's a bit on the boring side, but I had to get all this talk and explanations out of the way. And I know some of you don't like the WAFF at the end, although I can't figure out why. But anyway, this WAFF in particular was necessary, because some of the stuff will be essential in the future. I hope you'll forgive me.

And I also hope you'll all be good little readers and review this fic. I really want my reviews! Please! To make up for the boring-ness in this chapter, I'll offer you a deal: If the reviews reach between 70 and 75, I'll have the next action-filled chapter up by Friday. Sounds fair?

Thanks for reading (and reviewing!)!

Kirjava-chan


End file.
